Hikari wa Yami no Naka 光は闇の中
by Chi Haku
Summary: In every darkness, there is a light. The time of reckoning draws near and a new ally makes themself known to the Gods. One quest will answer all their questions, but it might also kill them. NicoxOC NicoOC NicoAme -Side Percabeth- Slightly AU
1. Chapter 0

**Prologue:** The Gods meet their long-lost goddaughter

Santa Fe New Mexico was quiet this night. For once, no partiers filled the daytime quiet streets, no bars seemed to be open, no cars passed by on the streets. A silent wind blew itself through the desert, pushing tumbleweeds into ditches. Overhead, a pale full moon hung, shining eerie light down on the empty city.

If someone had gone through the city in their car, perhaps on their way to Albuquerque, they would find no help with directions. No one would come to the door when you knocked, no one would even open their eyes. Tonight was a strange night, a night where everyone would sleep peacefully and not remember their dreams tomorrow. And that was for the better, because should they remember their dreams, it could very well drive any mortal insane.

There was only one person awake. One, lone figure, sitting in the middle of a desert field.

In New Mexico, when one says desert field, they do not mean that it was a corn field with no one there. No, they mean, it is a large expanse of naught but sand and dirt with sparse, scruffy bushes. A lizard or two will dart past, then disappear into the crack of a rock and just be gone.

In the middle of one of those fields, a young figure is sitting, calmly, as if waiting. One leg lay in a crossed position, the other drawn up to their chest. On the drawn up knee, the person's arm rested calmly, masking their face.

The person wore a pair of baggy black cargo pants and Vans sneakers, with a white hoodie with a checkerboard pattern on the cuffs and around the hood. The hood was up, covering the person's hood, and it was baggy enough to obscure the sex of the person in question.

The child seemed utterly unperturbed by the lack of motion in the city around them, eyes calm and staring. In front of the child, it looked as though perhaps a groundhog or something of the sort was digging a new hole, as dirt was being thrown out of a small pit every few seconds. However, if one were to look over the side and glance at what was inside, they would find that there WASN'T anything and the hole was seemingly digging itself.

Upon closer inspection, one would find that actually, a pair of vines were digging the hole, not that that was much more normal.

The child suddenly glanced up at the sky, as if someone had said something. Eyes fixed on the moon as if something would change. The eyes dropped back to the pit, and the young person snapped their fingers, causing the vines to stop digging and retreat back into the ground.

From their pocket, the figure pulled out a tied handkerchief. Opening it with deft, slender fingers, the person pulled out three things. A small sand dollar, a piece of seeming fluff(1) and an innocent looking assortment of pomegranate seeds. With one swipe of the hand, all the objects were in the pit.

Then the person started chanting, rubbing a piece of jewelry that hadn't been in their hands moments before. A black crescent moon surrounded by a silver circle, tied to a leather cord. The black moon could have been made out of obsidian, only when it caught the light, it shone with a rainbow array of other colors. One might say opal, but in all truth, no one really knew what kind of stone it was at all.

The chanting continued for another few minutes, and then the person raised their eyes to the sky.

"Almost…" they muttered. "Just another minute…"

The chanting started up again, their voice filled with much more determination than before.

Up in the sky, something started to slide across the moon, covering it bit by bit. The light of the moon started disappearing under the influence of the sun, and then-

It was a lunar eclipse.

"Μάιο του θεού αίσθηση μου που ζητά

Μπορούν να ανοίξουν τα μάτια τους σε μένα

Μπορώ να τις δείτε σε λάμψη του φεγγαριού"(2)

The chant finished just as the moon slid out of focus and the whole world was pitched into black. Then, for one blinding moment, a flash of light erupted, and had anyone been looking directly at it, they would have lost their eyes. When the glow subsided, the person was exactly where they had been, and so was the pit, only the objects she had put in the pit were gone, and instead, there was a silvery substance inside.

The young figure seemed utterly uncaring to all that had just happened, sitting in the same position, the hand that had been rubbing the charm now just holding it, leather cord wrapped around fingers. Dark eyes fixed on the hole, waiting once more, though this time, for something less obvious.

Then, suddenly, the silvery liquid, kind of thick, like syrup, that had been dredged at the bottom of the hole, started sliding up the sides. First one or two beads, the more, and more until it was crawling up the sides and out of the pit, like reverse rain. It started to curve in on itself, meet the other side and turning momentarily into a glittering dome.

And then it began to take on a shape. It twisted and formed, first into a kind of twisted staff shape, then congealing into a flat kind of mirror, hovering over the pit, held in place by a few drops at the bottom of the hole, like a magnet. The surface of the mirror glowed and shone, to the point that the figure could see their reflection in it.

A smirk curved the person's lips, a small sign of victory. The mirror flashed, as if someone had shone a light briefly on it, then something started appearing in it. Shadowy at first, a kind of faded outline, but then it became clearer and clearer, until the true image was revealed.

The mirror was split into thirds, showing three completely different people and places. One was something that looked like the sky in the background, the other, the sea, and the third was black. All at once, three voices roared;

"WHO DARES?"

Three faces appeared, one in each of the areas. One man was serious and formal looking, with salt and pepper hair with black roots, eyes glowing like the sky, he seemed to be wearing a business suit. The second had black hair trimmed short-ish and ocean blue eyes, he was dressed in casual clothes. Finally, the third wore what appeared to be a flowing cloak, his eyes were a dark midnight blue, his skin pale and his hair was shoulder length and jet black and straight.

Their eyes all glared holes into the person who was on the other side of the mirror, who just smirked wider. Holding up their hand, they let the charm slip from their palm, hanging down from the cord wrapped around their fingers. The crescent moon was revealed to the three men, all of whom's eyes widened.

"You-" started the one with the sea-like background.

The person's smirk widened more. They pushed back the hood with their free hand, revealing the face of a girl.

"Hello godfathers. Nice night, isn't it?"

---

**A/N:** Well I SAID I was starting a NicoxAme. SO SUE ME BITCHES. (P.S, NICO IS GOING TO BE OLDER IN THIS.)

_Title:_ 光は闇の中 Light in the Darkness

**1** It's a piece of cloud. SHUT UP.

**2 **

May the god's feel my calling

May they open their eyes to me

May I see them in the moon's glow


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter One:** Chiron gets an Iris Message

"Up a little, there we go, alright, now, keep your eyes on your target."

Chiron patted the Hermes cabin boy on the back as he shot off the arrow, nearly hitting the bull's-eye. He was about to trot off to talk to some other camper, when a satyr came up to him.

"Uhm, Chiron, sir?"

The centaur looked down at the young satyr.

"Yes my boy? Is there something you needed?"

"Ah, yes sir, well, it seems you have an Iris Message, at the big house. It's urgent."

Chiron frowned.

Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase were coming back to camp today. They had been gone from camp an extra week because Ms. Jackson had taken the two of them to their beach cabin in Montauk for a vacation. Not that Chiron minded, but Percy was an important figure at this camp, he was supposed to be here when the demi-god arrived.

"Can't it wait?" he asked.

The satyr looked uncomfortable, shifting from hoof to hoof, glancing around nervously. He fiddled with his thumbs, twirling them.

"Ah, sir, i-it's really urgent." he swallowed and said in a hushed tone. "It's uhm, from your… brother…"

Chiron frowned.

"I don't have a-" he paused

Well…actually….technically, considering Kronos was HIS father that made-

"….Oh my."

The satyr nodded fervently.

"Which one?"

"The eldest."

"REALLY?"

"Sir he's been on the line five minutes already."

Chiron jumped, or, well, did the centaur equivalent of a startled jump.

"Five minutes?! Why didn't you say so!"

He turned to the boy he had been instructing, apologizing to him that he had something important to do. Telling the boy to tell the others that class was over, and to tell them sorry as well, he started off at a gallop to the Big House. Chiron rarely saw, let alone heard from, his siblings. The Big Three rarely even called him their brother, not that he minded. They weren't really close, and besides, three were gods, one was a centaur.

Regardless, when Zeus summons you, even via IM, you come to the call, family or otherwise. Besides, Chiron had learned that in these times, it was mostly a good idea to listen to the people who could shoot you with a flick of their pinky.

Chiron arrived at the Big House in record time, throwing open the doors and trotting inside. He glanced around once until he saw the fountain on, spewing a rainbow of water. Clopping over, he bowed slightly.

"I apologize Lord Zeus, I was unawares you had called until a satyr came and told me. I was training some of the Apollo boys."

Zeus shifted in his seat, agitation leaving his face, mostly.

"Quite alright Chiron. I'm glad you're sticking to your duties."

Chiron sat down on his haunches, aware the Zeus never appeared HIMSELF unless there was something seriously important going on.

"How are things going there at camp?"

Zeus making small talk. That was never a good sign.

"Going well, we're managing. Everyone misses Thalia, but, well, joining the hunters was for the best, yes?"

Zeus nodded gravely.

"Indeed. And now I put my trust in Poseidon's boy, he's closest to sixteen. I still don't trust that Hades brat…."

"Speaking of Percy."

Chiron felt he REALLY needed to change the subject. NOW.

Hades and Zeus mixed worse than Ms. O'Leary and the pink yak chew toy.

"He's coming back today, with Annabeth." a realization suddenly struck Chiron. "Did you need to speak to him? About…ah….Father."

Never use Kronos' name in front of Zeus. That was as bad, if not worse, as bringing up Hades.

To Chiron's surprise, Zeus shook his head no.

"No, no, Percy Jackson is not my main concern at the moment, actually." the God stroked his beard, as if distracted. "Though, now that you mention him…it may be a good idea to get him involved…"

Now Chiron was both perplexed, AND interested. Something was going on, something he didn't know about, and it was seriously preying on Zeus' mind. And if you knew the God of the Sky well, you would know, not much preys on his mind.

In this case however, it seemed to really be getting to him, and that made it a very interesting subject to delve into, and apparently, a subject he wanted to bring up to Chiron.

"Sir…there's something on your mind." the centaur coaxed. "What is it you wanted to speak to me about? It must be important to have to call yourself."

Zeus sighed, kneading his brow with his thumb and forefingers.

"An unexpected development has occurred Chiron, one even Hermes had not seen coming."

Chiron's interest level jumped once more.

"What kind of unexpected development?"

"Not a bad one, I don't believe."

"Well then what kind is it?"

Zeus sighed again, reaching into his pocket for something. What he pulled out, he kept in his fist, then, opening his hand, showed to Chiron.

Chiron's blood ran cold and his heart all but stopped.

"You're not-"

"I'm dead serious Chiron."

Chiron swallowed the lump building in his throat, even though his mouth was so dry now it felt like sandpaper. Of all the developments that Zeus could have meant, this was most certainly the one he had been the farthest from expecting. Actually, this one wasn't even on the list of "expected developments". …Scratch that. It wasn't on the list of "unexpected developments" either.

"If this is so then…"

"Yes. Then this entire thing just got a new twist that no one was ready for."

.:xXxXx:.

"Well aren't you just the cutest thing!"

The old woman pushing the candy cart was cooing over one of the passengers. A young girl, in a hoodie, sitting alone in her seat.

"Look at you, looking all grown up!"

The girl didn't respond, continuing to stare out the window.

The candy cart woman leaned over, hands on knees, to be at her level. She was smiling jovially, like you would to a small child.

"Where're your parents honey?"

The girl finally acknowledged the woman's existence, turning her head to face her.

The candy cart woman started, eyes growing wide and a chill going up her spine. That wasn't natural. That just COULDN'T be natural. The young girl's eyes were pure, pitch black, a swirling mix of so many colors they looked like endless pits, just ready to suck you in.

Upon seeing the woman's shock, the girl smirked, revealing a pair of sharp looking canines, almost animal-like in appearance.

"I-I, uh, i-is there something you'd like…f-from the trolley?"

The girl's smirk widened, revealing more sharp teeth.

"No thank you."

The woman spun around, pushing her cart all the way to the next car, not caring about whoever she missed, just wanting to get away from the creepy kid.

The girl's smirk disappeared and her head turned back to the window. She watched as the train made its way across the Maine countryside towards New York, black eyes watching things no one else could see.

.:xXxXx:.

Percy Jackson was so happy he thought he just might burst. He was back at camp! And he had ridden the entire way there with Annabeth! All was well in the world.

Uh, well, in the world of Percy Jackson, 16 year old(!1!) half-blood extraordinaire.

Percy got out of the car with a grin, stretching his aching back from the long car ride. His back cracked a couple times and he made a small noise of contentment. Behind him, Annabeth exited the car, thanking Argus for the drive. Argus nodded, waiting for Annabeth to get their bags before driving off.

"Stop gawking Seaweed Brain." Annabeth said playfully. "We can go up instead of just standing here."

Percy smiled, taking his bag from Annabeth.

"Well then let's go!"

"Race you Seaweed Brain."

"You're on!"

The two friends raced up the hill, laughing and throwing various insults playfully back and forth, having the time of their lives. Annabeth reached the top first, only because Percy let her (so he said), resting against the no-longer-Thalia tree. Both were panting, even though they were laughing hysterically.

Percy threw an arm around Annabeth's shoulders.

"Nice(pant)race!" he grinned.

"You(pant)too Seaweed."

They both laughed, walking the rest of the way into the valley where camp lay.

Percy looked around at his home, feeling the familiar swell of happiness spreading through him at the sight of Camp Half-Blood. He breathed in deeply, nose filling with the smells of fresh forest and seawater. Two of his most favorite things in the world.

"Hey, Percy, Annabeth!"

The pair proceeded to get glomped by their dear goat-hoofed friend Grover.

"G-Man!" Percy said happily. "Good to see ya!"

Grover let them go, grinning.

"You too Percy!" he turned to Annabeth. "You too Annabeth, we've missed our resident architect."

Annabeth smiled.

"How's Juniper?"

"Awesome, flourishing!! Her leaves have never been greener."

The three friends shared a smile.

Glancing over, Percy noticed Chiron. He was about to call out to his mentor, when he noticed something. Chiron was acting strangely jittery, one of his hooves pawing at the ground every few seconds, eyes shifting around.

"Chiron!"

The centaur jumped in surprise, turning to face Percy.

"Percy! Annabeth! You're here, good to see you."

Chiron's usually happy tone was filled with a kind of jumpiness all of a sudden.

"Are, you, ah, well?"

"Yeah, we're fine."

Percy gave him a concerned look.

"Chiron, are you alright?"

"Oh, what?! Yes, yes I'm fine."

Chiron turned back to the archers, giving them the go ahead to let loose their arrows.

Percy exchanged a look with his friends, wondering what in the name of Zeus was going on.

.:xXxXx:.

Hours had passed and light was leaving the sky, casting an eerie glow into the train compartment. The young girl was in the same position she had been in when the candy cart woman tried to talk to her, the EXACT same position. She hadn't even moved to adjust her hood so the setting sun wasn't in her eyes.

In fact, if you weren't aware she was alive, you would probably guess she was a statue of some sort.

The train started slowing down, till five minutes later it stopped. The operator announced their arrival at long island and a few people began to file out of the cars. Finally, the girl moved, leaning down to grab the bag under her seat. She hoisted the backpack over her shoulder, adjusting it momentarily before leaving her row of seats.

She walked down the aisle, before exiting the train entirely. People seemed to part for her as she walked to the edge of the platform and looked off to the North. In the distance, you could faintly see a pine tree, standing all alone on top of a hill, shimmering almost in the glow of the sunset. The girl smirked, tugged her hood down farther over her eyes and started walking.

.:xXxXx:.

Dinner was a loud affair as usual, but Percy didn't mind one bit. Grover sat with him at the Poseidon table and they talked about whatever came to mind. However, it was hard not to notice something odd about this dinner, and with good reason.

No one was eating, because no one had been called up for offerings. Now usually, they went cabin by cabin to offer food to the Gods, make a small prayer, then go sit back down to eat. Tonight though, no one was being called up. In fact, no one was doing anything but muttering amongst themselves.

Percy leaned over the table and mumbled;

"Hey, Grover, what's going on? Why aren't we doing offerings?"

Grover shrugged, shaking his head.

"No idea. You think it's got something to do with how jumpy Chiron's been?"

"Probably…"

At that exact moment, Dionysus tapped his glass three times and cleared his throat. Everyone shut up quickly, all eyes turning to the head table where Dionysus stood.

"Yes, well, it seems Chiron's got an announcement for you all, so shut up and listen."

With that he sat back down and summoned a diet coke.

Chiron rose, clearing his throat slightly.

"Thank you, Mr. D."

Mr. D grunted and took a swig of soda.

Chiron looked around at all of the campers."I'm afraid I can't go into detail now, at least, not as much as I would like." he looked off towards camp as if someone was going to materialize there. "We, that is the camp is going to be having….a guest. A very important guest, for an undetermined amount of time."Everyone started talking all at once, chatter filling the grove in less than seconds. Percy and Grover exchanged a look, and Annabeth caught their eye. Percy mouthed "Do you know…?" to her, but she just shook her head and mouthed back "I thought you would." Percy shook his head no.

"Quiet!"

Everyone fell silent again, looking back up at Chiron.

"As I was saying, we will be having a guest. They will be arriving tonight," he held up a hand so no one would start talking. "But I don't know when. If anyone sees or hears anything unusual, I need to be alerted. This is a dire matter."

A kid at the Hermes cabin table raised a hand.

"Why's this such a dire matter?" he questioned.

"I'm not at liberty to go into detail about it, but trust me when I say it is. I have never and will never lead any of you astray, so please, do as I say and their arrival should go smoothly." he waited for any arguments, and when none came, said; "Hermes Cabin, please, begin offerings."

.:xXxXx:.

It happened about three quarters of the way through dinner. Grover was just chomping down into a can and Percy was lifting a forkful of mashed potatoes to his mouth, when they heard it. A loud, roaring scream, one that could only belong to a monster.

All heads snapped around in the direction of camp and everything fell completely silent. For a moment, no one moved, then there was another roar, louder, closer this time.

Chiron jumped up, dropping everything, and behind him, Dionysus slowly rose like this was the most troubling thing in the world.

"It seems," Chiron said in a calm tone. "That our guest has arrived."

He galloped off, Dionysus behind him, Argus following them. The campers exchanged glances, before almost unanimously rising and dashing after them.

Annabeth caught up to Percy and Grover, running shoulder to shoulder with them.

"Guys, you know what's going on?"

"I think he said our guest arrived." Percy answered her.

"I got that." she quipped. "I mean what made that sound."

"Blah-ha-ha!!" Grover bleated. "Something large and horrible! Why are we running towards it?!"

"The fleece will keep the borders." Percy said, knocking his elbow into Grover's side. "Don't be such a worrywart."

Naturally, Chiron reached the borders first, and a couple of Aphrodite cabin girls were next (that ran oddly fast). Ares and Percy's group were next to arrive and everyone else basically got there together or were way back at the bottom of the valley. Some of the campers decided not to leave their dinner table altogether.

And maybe that was for the better.

At the bottom of the hill leading to Camp Half-Blood was a huge Chimera, head tilted back in a roar. Grover "Eeped' and hid behind Percy.

"Borders Grover."

"I know that." the satyr answered shakily. "I just don't want to see him eat that person!"

"What person?"

"THAT one!"

Annabeth and Percy's eyes followed where Grover was pointing. There, near the Chimera's feet, was a person dressed in black and white, hood covering their face.

"Crap!" Percy yelped, grasping Riptide in his pocket. "Chiron, we gotta-!"

Chiron held out an arm, stopping Percy and, oddly, Clarisse, from going any farther.

"Don't worry." he said. "It's under control."

Percy was about to ask HOW the Hades this was under control, when three things happened all at once.

Collectively, the whole group of campers and directors alike took a step back, gasped in surprise, and the Chimera burst inexplicably into copper dust.

Percy blinked, slowly comprehending what he had just seen. The person who had been running had suddenly paused, and there had been a flash, for a second, the person had kind of flickered, then reappeared back where they had been. If they had moved, it was fast enough that not even Percy could pick it up, and if they had had a weapon, it wasn't there anymore.

The Chimera finished disintegrating, but the person wasn't even perturbed. They were walking up the hill, eyes shadowed, expression calm, stride confident.

All the campers stared as the person finally got to the top of the hill, backing up to give them space. Percy looked this new arrival over, trying to assess who the heck this could be the child of…or whatever.

First of, this was a girl, younger than himself, but not super young, maybe a 14 or 15. She wore black jeans and a white hoodie, cuffs and the area around the hood pattered with checkerboard. Her shoes were plain black running shoes with black laces, and she had a black backpack swung over one shoulder.

Her eyes were mostly obscured by the shadow of her hood, and the fact that she bent her neck in a way that it was impossible to see past the hood at all. She raised her head slightly, and her hood fell back just a fraction.

Percy did a double take.

The girl had pink hair, bangs falling across one side of her face, cut in a short, almost bob-like style, only a little shaggier. But that wasn't what was shocking Percy. Her eyes were what was making him stare. They were blacker than black, deeper and darker than the icy midnight blue of Hades' eyes, and that's saying something.

The girl's eyes flickered past everyone assembled, and landed on Chiron.

"Hello." she said in the coolest, calmest voice Percy had ever heard. "You must be Chiron."

---

**A/N: **

_!1!_ **THIS IS DEATHLY IMPORTANT.** I HAVED UP EVERYTHING AGE-WISE BY A YEAR. THAT MEANS THAT THE AGE IN THE PROPHECY IS NOW 17 NOT 16 AND PERCY IS 16 NOT 15. THERE IS A GOOD REASON FOR THIS INVOLVING THE GIRL'S AGE AND THE FACT THAT I HAD TO KEEP NICO A YEAR YOUNGER THAN PERCY.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two:** Another Ares camper gets friendly with the toilets

When morning came, the whole camp was abuzz with the news of what had happened the night before. Campers who had seen it were relaying everything to those who hadn't, and rumors were flying about who this girl was.

Not one to judge a book by it's cover, Percy, Annabeth and Grover were trying not to come to any predetermined conclusions. Besides, some of these rumors were just plain nuts. Like she was another child of the Big Three for example (Shot down by Percy saying simply; "Dad would have told me if I had another cousin.").

And so the day progressed, chatter only increasing when there was a lack of Chiron at breakfast, his spot at the big table empty. Dionysus seemed not to care, but he was a bad judge of whether to care or not. Percy exchanged a look with his friends, deciding not to comment on it and eat his food.

He, Annabeth and Grover retreated to the climbing wall, which was closest to the Big House, watching for Chiron and the mystery girl.

.:xXxXx:.

The morning light fell through the window, dappling across pale skin. The young girl had been up for a few hours, but she hadn't left the bed. Now she stood in the center of the room, wearing nothing but panties, back to the window. Short hair fell across the back of her neck, slightly obscuring the sight of a black cord of leather.

Quietly, the girl pulled on her bra, fastening it in the back, then adjusting it in the front. On the bed, the black jeans from yesterday were laid out with a black long sleeved shirt and the white and checker hoodie.

Sighing softly, the girl turned to the bed, picking up her pants and pulling them on. She dressed in complete silence, putting herself together quickly and efficiently.

Just as she pulled on her shoes, there was a knock at the door.

"Are you ready to go meet with Mr. D?"

It was Chiron.

Tying her shoe, the girl got up, dusting off her pants legs as if something were on them. She went to the door and opened it.

"Yes Chiron?"

"I asked if you were ready to go." the centaur reiterated.

She decided not to tell him that she had heard him the firs time.

"Alright, one moment please."

"Oh, I won't be accompanying you I'm afraid. I've got to teach archery among other things."

She nodded.

"Very well. He will be where he was yesterday? In the dining area?"

"Yes."

"I see. I shall go to see him then, good day to you Chiron."

"See you later."

Chiron left the Big House, leaving the young girl alone.

Turning back to the bed, she grabbed her hoodie, wrapping it around her waist and tying it there. Looking around for anything else she might need, she touched the cord around her neck, then the bracelet around her left wrist.

Sighing again, she exited the room, closing the door.

.:xXxXx:.

Grover had informed them when Chiron exited the Big House, be he all out yelped when the girl left.

Luckily, Percy and Annabeth had both reached the bottom of the climbing wall (they had gone to the top already), and were able to unhook themselves and drop to the ground. Grover joined them moments later, scampering down the slope on his goat hooves.

"Blah-ha-ha!" he bleated. "She's not wearing the hood!"

And no she wasn't.

The three friends all just stared at the girl who had exited the house, wondering how they hadn't noticed these details about her the night before.

Likewise with Percy's suspicions, her hair was pink, not bright pink, but not "girly" pink either. More that punk pink you'd see at a rock concert. It was short and slightly feathery looking, bangs falling mostly across the right side of her face. Her skin's color was the likeness of snow, making her black (Percy was shocked to find his eyes HADN'T been playing tricks on him the night before) eyes stand out vividly.

She walked calmly, not looking at anyone, eyes staring straight ahead. Wherever she walked, people just sort of parted ways, letting her through. She didn't seem to notice or care, making her way towards where she was going.

"…Let's follow."

Both boys stared at Annabeth, wrenching their eyes away from the small girl.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard Seaweed Brain." Annabeth pulled off her climbing harness. "Let's follow her. She can't be going anywhere super secret. Besides," she grinned. "I want to know who her parent is."

"Uh…what if she's not a half-blood?" Grover asked. Apparently he had been listening to the rumors.

"All the more reason to follow her don't you agree?"

Percy shrugged, familiar cocky grin creasing his face.

"Gotta say, she's kinda intriguing."

Grover groaned.

"Why do I follow you people around?"

"Cause you love us."

Grover didn't argue, just clopped after the two retreating half-bloods, wondering what he was gonna get himself into.

.:xXxXx:.

The looks of awe and confusion that she was met with were nothing new and she didn't particularly care about them. She just kept walking, hoping no one would try to come too close to her, let alone speak with her.

*Calm yourself.* she chided. *They're half-bloods, they won't hurt you.*

Then she recounted what she said. They didn't know who she was. They WOULD hurt her if they wanted to.

*….Control. Control is key.*

She passed through the archery area, ignoring the way every archer lowered their bows. The young girl got past the Aphrodite cabin and the Apollo cabin, before she ran into any kind of complications.

Complications came in the form of Ares cabin, which I'm sure no one is in the least surprised about.

Oddly enough, it was not Clarisse who gave the girl trouble. Actually, it was one of Clarisse's half brothers, whose name doesn't matter because he's about to get his ass handed to him. (If you read the chapter title, you know that.)

"So." the bulky boy started. "YOU'RE the 'special guest' Chiron was going on about? SERIOUSLY?"

The young girl stopped walking, looking at the Ares boy, but not in the eye.

"You're TINY." he said.

Again, she made no response, standing stock still as the boy started circling her. People had started gathering around to watch what was going on, and the murmuring was starting up again.

Clarisse stood in the doorway to her cabin, watching her half-brother apprehensively, as if she knew he was walking a fine line.

"I mean, LOOK at you!" he gesticulated with his hands. "You're scrawny! How are you some all-important 'special guest'?! I could take you down with one hand while standing still!"

People were starting to wonder how far he was going to take this. When Chiron said someone was an important guest, he was probably very serious about it. And they had seen (at least those who had been there) the way that Chimera just poofed into dust. She could move fast, and was apparently strong.

Then again, he hadn't been there.

"Hey!" some people's eyes turned to Clarisse. "Back off! Let it go would ya?"

"Why?" called back her cabin mate. "I wanna know what's so damn special about this brat!"

And still the girl remained silent, waiting for him to stop circling her.

"Hey, I'm TALKING TO YOU!"

And then the Ares cabin boy made a fatal mistake.

He raised his fist and started to swing it down on the young girl's head, and everyone present saw what happened next. For a moment, it looked as though he was going to hit her, then he seemed to pause, in midair, like a wall was blocking any further movement. Then, all at once his eyes widened and he was hurled backward like he had been shot out of a canon, straight into the toilets. All eyes followed him in shocked silence, as the toilet water sloshed everywhere, soaking him. He was gaping like a fish out of water, totally not sure what had happened.

Then, for the first time, the girl moved to acknowledge his presence.

She looked over at the toilet stalls with distaste, and muttered, just loud enough to hear;

"Amateurs."

.:xXxXx:.

Annabeth, Percy and Grover all gaped.

"Did that…?"

"Just happen…?"

Percy could only nod in answer to his friends.

"Whoa." Annabeth mumbled. "That's….whoa."

"Not that I have an issue with kicking as Ares kid's ass, but…." Percy shook his head. "That was just…."

"Unexpected?"

"Weird?"

"Something like that."

As they watched, the girl started walking again, completely ignoring every camper around her. She looked utterly uncaring to the fact that she had just blasted a kid almost twice her size fifteen feet, and if she did care, it was hard to tell.

"…"

"…Are we still following her?"

"Yes Grover. We're still following her."

"Oh. …Damn."

----

**A/N:** Short, but necessary. Trust me. .....At least I think it was necessary.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three:** All is revealed! …Well, not really.

"Well, come sit down." Dionysus huffed. "There's a lot to talk about, and dear old dad doesn't want to wait that long."

Now, I'm sure you're confused, so allow us to recap the events of the last few minutes. After the incident with the Ares cabin boy, Percy, Annabeth and Grover had hurried after the mystery girl, sneaking around the remainder of the boy's cabin mates, who were all checking on him. They had made it to the forest and had begun following her once more, keeping at a distance so as not to arouse her suspicion.

They had lost her somewhere near the open grove where they ate, and, figuring it was the only place she could go, they made their way there. When they arrived, they found Dionysus and the girl already sitting at one of the tables, calmly watching them. The two had looked totally unsurprised that the three friends had followed her.

And so, here was Mr. D, telling them to come sit down.

"Come on." he grumped. "We haven't got all damn day!"

The three friends exchanged a look, before slowly walking up to the table and taking a seat.

Percy found himself sitting closest to the mystery girl, one seat away from her. She had her arms crossed over her stomach and she wasn't looking at any of them, eyes fixed on a tree some five yards away.

Percy decided it was best, for his own sake, not to question why she wouldn't look at them, even though in reality, he wished she would. She just seemed a little… He didn't know, like she was avoiding them.

*Maybe she is.* he thought.

'Why would she do that?'

*I have no idea.*

'Unless she's evil.'

*Are you serious?*

'Just testing you.'

*….I'm talking to myself again.*

Percy shook his head to clear it, just in time to hear Grover speaking.

"So, uh, what is it Mr. D?" he asked a little shakily. "If this is about us following her, uh, that was Annabeth's idea. Percy and I-"

"Hey!" Annabeth growled, elbowing him in the ribs. "You didn't HAVE to follow me!"

"Oh shut up."

Their eyes turned back to Mr. D.

"You're not in trouble. You saved me the energy of having to go get you."

Now they were curious instead of worried.

"Come get us?" Percy asked. "Why?"

"Because, Peter Johnson,"

Percy resisted the urge to say "My NAME is Percy JACKSON!" simply because Someone he didn't know what sitting right there.

"This, unfortunately, involves you too."

The young Poseidon boy cocked his head to the side in confusion, wondering how this could involve HIM. …Well, any of them actually. And for that matter what-

"This? This WHAT Mr. D? What involves us?"

Once more, Annabeth had seemingly read his mind.

"I was getting to that!" he snapped. "Alright, now that we're all here, let's get this damn thing started."

Above them, thunder rumbled, and suddenly clouds encircled the grove. Had they reached to the ground, Percy had a feeling they would have completely closed them in. As it were, he felt as though there was an invisible series of walls all around them now.

Grover shot a look at him and he raised an eyebrow. Silently they agreed, if Zeus was doing this, something serious was going on.

Dionysus grunted.

"Dad's being overprotective, it's not THAT big a deal."

Thunder rumbled in an almost irritable fashion.

"Oh fine, maybe it is."

The group fell silent. Percy looked nervously around, wondering if something was supposed to happen that he wasn't aware of. This was worse than the tension he had experienced when he first arrived at camp.

A minute or two passed and still no one said anything. Had there been any furniture or silverware, Grover would have been eating it at this point. Annabeth was drawing something that looked suspiciously like trig on her leg with her finger, as if to try to distract herself. Percy of course, being the most ADHD of all of them (was that even possible…?), was barely sitting still.

Suddenly, Dionysus barked;

"WELL? Are you three going to introduce yourselves to our guest?!"

Grover jumped and Annabeth started in surprise. Percy blinked in shock. He didn't know that's what they were supposed to be doing.

"Oh, uh…" Annabeth seemed to come out of a daze. "Hi, uh, I'm Annabeth Chase."

Dionysus sighed.

"AND?"

"…I'm a daughter of Athena?"

"Thank you! Gods, you'd think you were brainless. YOU!" he barked at Grover. "Introduce yourself!"

"G-Grover Underwood!" he squeaked. "Satyr!"

Percy realized that left only him, and before Dionysus could say anything, he turned to look at the girl and said;

"I'm Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon."

When she turned her head, Percy was not totally sure, but suddenly he found himself staring into her eyes, the black suddenly becoming a mixture and mirage of colors. It was as if the whole rainbow had meshed together and positioned itself inside her irises, completely dark until one truly looked.

All around him, he heard the ocean's waves, crashing as if on rocks, naiads laughing their glittering laughter. He was wet, as if for once, the bubble of dryness wasn't surrounding him in the water. The blues in her eyes stood out, jumping out amongst the hundreds of other colors, taunting him into believing they were water itself. He could even smell the ocean, the salty sweetness he had come to associate with home.

The sensation went as quickly as it came, and Percy had to lean back slightly to gain his vision back. He blinked a few times, clearing his eyes of the sensations of blue that had scarred across his retinas. Somehow, in the midst of clearing his head, he noticed that the girl had turned her eyes back to their previous position.

"Percy??"

Annabeth's voice was concerned.

"I….uh, what happened?" he asked blearily.

"She looked at you." Grover said. "For like, half a second. You went all rigid."

Percy ran a hand over his eyes, realizing, to his shock, he was shaking slightly.

"Now then, that wasn't very nice. You should have given the boy some warning." Mr. D commented in a voice that plainly stated he didn't care.

"What? So he could fake a reaction?"

Percy started. The girl had spoken.

This was only the second time he had ever heard her voice, and he found that his memory had failed him. Her voice was much softer, sweeter and icy than he remembered from the night before. She had a voice like wind chimes made of deadly ice-sickles, beautiful, but downright dangerous.

"Fake a reaction?" Annabeth asked. "A reaction to what?"

At that time, the water-boy stepped in, describing what had happened. His two friend's eyes widened slightly.

"Percy, that was a soul searching!" Grover squeaked in shock, nearly falling out of his chair. "I thought it was a dead technique!"

"A what????"

"A soul searching." Dionysus took a swig of his soda. "She checked if you were really who you said you were via your soul. Which, as much as I wish it wasn't, is apparently the soul of a child of Poseidon." he glanced at the girl. "But like Grover said, I thought it was supposed to be a dead art."

"It is." the girl said calmly.

Raised eyebrows all around on that one.

"I simply exercise a small portion of the ability, the whole power is far too dark and dangerous and has thankfully been lost forever."

"And which portion is that?"

Trust Annabeth to be interested in anything lost or ancient.

"It allows me to establish contact with souls of those with whom I have a connection. Truly, it is not useful for much but weeding out those who are not who they claim to be. However," she crossed her hands in front of her face, leaning her elbows on the table. "As of lately, that seems more useful than one would at first believe."

The ominous feel that came with the statement worried Percy more than the whole "soul searching" thing.

"So…" he said slowly. "You had to figure out if I was really me…But uh….what connection do we have again???"

Percy waited for her to pop some crazy crap like "I'M YOUR LONG LOST TWIN" or "WE'RE SOUL MATES" on him.

"Oh, we don't. Not directly. It's actually rather faint. I'm lucky I could pick up on it at all."

….Well. That wasn't what he was expecting.

"…So…we have no connection. ….At all."

"Nope."

"….Then how did you…?"

"Do a soul search? Picking up on generations old connections. Funny that they're still there, probably because of your father."

"My….father…? You have a connection to my father….?"

"A distant one, but yes."

If Percy hadn't been confused before, he certainly was now.

"I think…uh…..Yeah you lost me."

The girl turned her head towards him and he looked away. As much as he had enjoyed the oceanic sensations, he was NOT interested in going through that again.

"It only happens when she wants it to idiot. If every time someone with the remotest connection to her looked in her eyes, they were soul searched, it would cause problems." Dionysus commented.

Percy allowed himself to look back at the girl, eyes connecting tentatively with hers. This time, he found only the black of the night before, nothing more nothing less, just deep, dark, endless pools of obsidian.

"You have all kindly introduced yourselves to me." she said softly. "Please, allow me to return the favor."

Grover shifted nervously in his seat and Annabeth seemed to be on the edge of hers with excitement.

"My name is Ame Kurotsuki, 14, I am a kitsune."

Grover fell off his chair with shock.

Annabeth and Percy however, were totally nonplused. This had to be one of those weird Greek/Roman/God things that no one understood until it was explained.

"Uhm….What's a-"

"A kitsune!"

The two half-bloods looked down at Grover, who was now sitting up.

"You're a- But that's- HOW?"

"Grover." Annabeth said impatiently. "What in the name of Zeus are you on about?! What's a kitsune?!"

"I don't know!"

"How do you NOT know and be freaking out about it?!" Percy questioned.

"I just know that they're right up there on the "High-And-Mighty" list with Pan! They're a big deal! And they're all supposed to be dead!"

Both half-bloods looked back at Ame in shock, only to find her smirking, eyes glittering with bemusement.

"Pan huh? Figures you satyrs would love us." her smirked widened a fraction. "As for my kind being dead, yes, they are. I used the wrong word when introducing myself, I am not "A" kitsune. I am "The" kitsune. I am the last of my kind."

"Indeed." grumbled Dionysus. "The kitsune we had no idea existed I might add. Dad certainly got a shock."

Thunder rumbled.

"Well you did. And so did your brother's, but considering I'm not really in touch with them it's more fun to make fun of you."

Dionysus. The only man who could get away with pissing off Zeus and live with simply prohibition.

"As much as this is interesting," Annabeth said. "I think me and Percy are the only ones who really don't know what's going on here. What's a kitsune? Why are they so important?"

Ame quirked a brow, sharing a sidelong look with Dionysus.

"Kitsune," grunted the wine god. "Are creatures the Gods created millennia ago. So long ago in fact, that only their Japanese name can be remembered."

Which was fitting because Ame was Japanese. But that wasn't the point.

"The Gods created them?" Percy questioned. "Why???"

"To fight for them." Ame said smoothly. "We had an…old debt to a certain God, and when the time came to repay it, we offered our services as soldiers against the God's enemies. They turned us from our original forms to a more humanoid one, and powers developed, abilities stronger than they could have hoped for. The only reason we were allowed to live was because the Gods have our eternal loyalty. And I am no exception to that rule."

"Wait, original form?" Ame turned her eyes to Annabeth.

"Yes. It is part of the reason why satyrs hold us in such high regard. "Kitsune" literally means "Fox". We were once foxes who owed a debt to a God, and for their kindness, all the God's kindness, we kept these forms to fight as their strongest soldiers. The only ones whom have ever come close to our power is select few half-bloods, but it has been years since that last happened."

"Blah-ha-ha! So you were once animals, creatures of nature!"

Ame's eyes turned to Grover now.

"Yes, we once were. We still are, in a way, but our souls are like a human's, they will descend into Hades and be placed accordingly."

Percy, for some reason, couldn't totally imagine Ame standing in front of Hades awaiting judgment. There was just something…WRONG with the image. He had no idea what that might be though.

"So…Let me sum this up. You're Ame Kurotsuki, the last kitsune." Percy began.

"Yes.""Which are a race of…uh, creatures who were once foxes."

"Yes."

"Who were turned into hu-, well, humanoid, by the Gods."

"Yes."

"Who you now loyally serve."

"Yes."

"One of whom I assume you serve first and foremost."

"Yes."

"Who is it?"

"Not important right now."

"Alright, and to finish up, you're here to- ….Uh, why ARE you here?" he asked, suddenly realizing he didn't know.

"Ain't it obvious?"

Percy and the others looked back at Dionysus.

"She's here to help with this damn war, what else? Gods, you'd think you all didn't have any brains."

Well. That made sense. She HAD said that the kitsune were sworn soldiers of the Gods with powers that sometimes outmatched even half-bloods, why else would she be here? Certainly not to just attend camp. They had all seen what she did to the Ares camper and the Chimera, she didn't need any more training.

"And so." Ame said, leaning forward and resting her elbows on the table, fingers lacing in front of her face. "To business. I understand the situation to an extent, but I do have a few questions."

Dionysus waved a hand.

"Ask away."

"First of all, I have heard that this entire war is the responsibility of Kronos, and while I dislike disbelieving my sources…"

"That's true." Mr. D answered instantly. "As are the rumors of the labyrinth."

Ame quirked an eyebrow.

"That is to say that Daedalus is dead, and so is the labyrinth?"

"Yes."

For a fraction of a second, it looked like Ame's eyes softened.

"A shame. I had hoped to meet the genius myself before his time, but I have only ventured in and out of the maze, never to the center. Sad." she sighed. "I suppose I will have to live without now."

Annabeth cleared her throat quietly.

"Uh…we, well, I have his works…things he never finished….projects he only started…. I mean, if you're interested, you can look at them."

Grover and Percy stared at their female friend like she was insane. Annabeth had never offered to let anyone else see the works, not even one of her fellow cabin mates. Only when it was completely necessary would she even show them.

Ame held a mild air of surprise on her face.

"Thank you." she said in her quiet voice. "I would like that."

Annabeth smiled.

"Not to completely switch subjects," Ame continued, returning her eyes to Dionysus, all business again. "But seeing as there was truth in the tale of a son of Poseidon, I can't help wondering about the rumor that there are…others like him."

Dionysus took a drink of his soda.

"Well, yes, it's true." he said, suddenly seeming a little nervous. "Zeus had a daughter, Thalia, as you knew, but she was turned to a tree."

Insert booming thunder.

"For her own good of course. But regardless, she was a tree for a while there. Of course, then the fleece turned her back accidentally."

Booming thunder.

"Which was also for her own good, but she came back, and, after a long and….kind of successful quest-"

LOUD booming thunder.

"Alright! Almost entirely successful quest, she became Artemis's lieutenant!"

The thunder quieted to a mournful rumble.

"Ah." Ame mused. "So now she works for Lady Artemis." she made a small sign that they couldn't quite catch over her heart. "A good place to be."

"Is she the God you owed a debt?" Grover blurted, then blushed when she looked at him. "Your race, I mean…"

Ame cocked her head to the side slightly.

"No…But she is one of the Gods we revere most highly. As hunters ourselves, the kitsune find her a most appealing woman. In the days of old, kitsune used to ride beside her, but now, all but me are dead. And I have no wish to become an eternal maiden."

Grover looked kind of awed.

"Your kind…used to go with…."

"Yes. She was most kind to us, even the males. Though, she was far more tolerant of the young boys than the fully grown men. Sometimes she would care for mothers traveling long distances. There are many tales of her protecting my people."

The awed look on Grover's face remained in place. Everyone knew satyrs practically worshipped Artemis (no pun intended), it must be shocking to hear about someone whose kind had been by her side. ….Or Grover was just being weird.

"However, back to the subject of the God's children."

Dionysus looked momentarily stricken, as if he had hoped she wouldn't have remembered that part of the conversation.

"As the rumors of Zeus and Poseidon's children are true, tell me Lord Dionysus, is it true? Does Lord Hades truly have a son?"

Percy was a little unnerved by the way she asked this, her voice…not eager, per say, but sort of… Overly quizzical, as if she was about to burst from not knowing.

"Ah…" Dionysus seemed to flounder for a moment. "Yes. Yes, he does. He had a daughter too, but she met her untimely death and now resides with her father somewhere in the underworld I believe. As for his son…he is…elsewhere."

Percy watched as Ame made what he guessed was the Greek (or Japanese) version of a cross over her heart.

"Poor thing, I hope she finds peace." she murmured softly. "But regardless, this news is good. Things are better than they could have been."

"True." Mr. D said over a sip of cola. "Things could be much worse. But hey, at least you're here not, and Peter over there isn't the worst of people to follow. You could follow one of the Stoll brothers."

"Whoa, hey." Percy held up a hand. "Follow? What's this about following?"

Ame turned her eyes back to him.

"I'm sorry, did I forget to explain? How careless of me." she laced and relaced her fingers. "I am bound to follow one of the children of the Three at all times, I am allowed to choose under most circumstances. They saw fit to send me here to you, and as of such I now fall under your power until further discussed."

Grover gaped now, awed look replaced by shock.

"You mean you're- Percy is-"

"I'm what?"

"In all essence, my lord and master."

Grover fell off his chair again and Percy's head snapped around.

"Whoa-what?"

Ame smirked in a bemused soft of way.

"I mean nothing derogatory nor insinuative when I say that Percy. I mean only that I will follow you in most activities. Not on your heels of course, but should you leave camp, it would be in my best interest to follow you. Unless, of course, you think I can stay here, at which time I will." she shrugged lightly. "As long as the God's approve, I fall under your power for now."

"….For now?"

"If you see fit, one of the others can take over the position and I will follow them. As the last of my kind, I am bound to each child of the Three."

"Me, Thalia and Nico…"

"If Nico is the son of Hades' name, then yes. But for now, you only need know the fact that you hold a certain amount of power over me."

Percy nodded his head, trying to process this.

"So uh… you're not going to stalk me?"

"Like I said, as long as you don't need me beside you, I'll most likely remain here. Unless otherwise needed by the Gods." she added as an afterthought.

"Oh, okay, that doesn't sound too bad."

He had been afraid she would follow him around like Ms. O'Leary for a minute there.

"Now, I'm not here to pass judgment, but I have one little suggestion."

"Shoot." Mr. D took another swig of soda.

"I think you should bring the son of- Sorry, Nico, right?" Percy nodded. "Nico. I think you should bring Nico here, to camp. It would be safest to keep Percy and he together instead of spread out."

Dionysus chugged the last of his soda.

"Not that I disagree Ame, but the thing is, he has no cabin at camp."

"Nor do I."

"And the other campers aren't too fond of him."

"After my displays last night and today, I doubt many are fond of me either."

"And we have no idea where he is."

Ame frowned slightly, unable to argue against this statement. Percy guessed that she was going to offer to go look for him, only to remember that she was now bound to him, here at camp. Ame didn't strike Percy as the type who was used to being tied up, so to speak.

"There…has to be a way to find him."

"None."

"Actually…"

All eyes turned to Percy, who was pulling something out from under his shirt.

"I have a way of contacting Nico."

----

**A/N**: OHOHOOHOHOHOHOH.

LOOKIT DAT. ES A NEW CHAPTAR! :D

AND LOOK! She's GOT A NAME. Pronounced Ah-MEH Ku-RO-tsu-KEY I might add. Don't you DARE go calling her Amy or I SWEAR TO THE GODS- ...Ahem. Anyway.

That's a lotta fucking dialogue. =-= I'm sorry, it was all necessary though... REALLY.

*gets bricked by Roma*

Roma: YOU ARE LACKING FULL STORY!

THAT'S FOR LATER.

Roma: Including why Nico is important?

Yes.

Roma: Very well then. *disappears all ninja-like*

....Yes. Well. If anyone is on deviantART, or is just interested, there is a contest going for making a cover for this story. If you're interested, please send me a message or a review saying so and I will send you a link to the specifics in my journal. Or, if you are on deviantART, my username is blood-inthe-rain.

Enjoy, next chapter will be out promptly.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four:** Percy finds Nico running from killer puppies

"And that is…?"

In his hand, Percy held a small device, attached to a celestial bronze chain. It was a round, flat, black disk, trimmed with silver. Seemingly floating atop the disk was a small needle, also black, twitching slightly around. On the silver trim was a single dot of bronze in the direction of north. The whole thing looked like it was made of Stygian iron, just like Nico's sword.

Ame leaned forward across the table to see it.

"It…is that a shadow compass?"

"Yeah, I think that's what he called it." Percy agreed.

Ame ghosted her fingers over it, not really touching.

"I've never seen one." she murmured. "They're used in the underworld, specifically by the ferrymen when they need to keep in a certain direction, or find a certain soul." she turned her head slightly, to glance at Annabeth and Grover, letting them now she was counting them in the conversation too. "Unlike normal compasses, they can lock on to one person, with practice, or if they're pre-locked. Of course, they can work like a normal compass too."

"Ferrymen like…Ferrymen of death?"

"Yes."

Grover shuddered, remembering their first summer's quest.

"This…" Ame murmured, still ghosting her fingers around the compass. "Is an amazing thing. Humans usually don't have them, though sometimes I've heard that children of Hades owned them. If I had to guess, I'd say this one is pre-locked, most likely onto your friend Nico."

"Yeah." Percy agreed again. "He said that it would always point to him. Usually, it sticks to one direction, I think this fog is screwing it up though."

He motioned to the fog up over head that was creating a barrier.

"Not to be insulting or anything Lord Zeus."

A small role of thunder that probably meant something along the lines of, "None taken."

Ame sat back in her seat, crossing her arms over her stomach again.

"Then it's settled, Percy should go find Nico for us as soon as possible. He can stay at the Big House if necessary."

There was a kind of command in Ame's voice during the last sentence, as if she was daring Dionysus to disagree with her. Truth be told, Percy was kind of glad. Nico was nice, if a little dark and scary at times, he wasn't a bad kid. It wasn't his fault his life turned all screwy on him, it just happened, just like every other half-blood. It wasn't his fault his father was Hades either, and maybe now that he was older he held a few aspects of his only remaining parent (the dark, cold attitude, the icy glare), didn't mean he was evil.

People needed to cut him some slack.

"By the way," Ame said. "How did you get that?"

Percy told them about how Nico came to visit him on his birthday last summer, leaving out the fact that he had ended up staying overnight and eating blue food with his family.

"Nico came to see you and you NEVER TOLD ME?" Annabeth questioned in an affronted tone.

"Well…You don't like him much…" Percy muttered.

"He's a son of Hades! He's not to be trusted!" Grover added instantly.

Percy caught, out of the corner of his eye, Ame twitch slightly when Grover said that, but it could have just been a trick of the light.

"Regardless." she said dismissively, and Percy wondered if she could sense his growing tension. "I think it would be in all of our best interests if Percy were to set off at once. The compass should point him in the right direction, and as for transportation-" she paused, looking at him questioningly.

"Don't worry." Percy said with a grin. "I've got something."

Ame nodded.

"Very well then. I think we can consider this meeting adjourned." she rose from her seat. "Oh yes and, I would appreciate it if you could possibly not let slip my select servitude to Percy. Having others know I'm the last kitsune is nothing new to me, but I could do without others knowing of that."

Annabeth and Grover nodded.

"Alright. Now then." she looked back at Percy. "Mind if I see you off?"

.:xXxXx:.

Once the fog lifted and they left the grove, the compass in Percy's hand became straight again, pointing a little southwest. Ame and Percy broke off from the others, Grover dashing off to inform the other satyrs of this girl's true identity. They trailed down and around the cabin's the long way, Percy veering off towards the training stadium and Ame following.

"You didn't like it much, did you?" the young Poseidon-born said out of the blue. "

When they were insulting Nico."

Ame glanced at him, eyes cool and calm.

"No, I did not."

"Why?" ADHD was a bitch. "You don't know him."

The kitsune raised a fine eyebrow.

"You didn't like it much better." she commented seemingly innocently.

"Touché." Percy agreed.

They continued walking in the direction of the training stadium, almost there. The pair arrived minutes later and Percy whistled, clapping his hand down on his thigh. A moment passed, and then there was a loud bark.

Ms. O'Leary came bounding out of nowhere, making Ame step back into a defensive position, serious expression turning baffled as the hellhound came to a screeching stop at Percy's side. Ms. O'Leary barked again, tail thumping happily at the sight of her master.

"Is that… A hellhound?" Ame asked cautiously.

"Yeah." Percy grinned. "Ms. O'Leary, SIT!"

The huge dog whumped to the ground, tail continuing to wag.

"Good girl! Go get me your Frisbee!"

Ms. O'Leary bounded off to get her toy.

"…How…?"

Percy grinned wider at Ame.

"She was Daedalus's. When he died, he left her to me. She's the only tame hellhound in the world and she's damn useful."

Ms. O'Leary came back with the shield she used as a toy. She dropped it at Percy's feet and he picked it up, swinging it round and throwing it down the field. The hellhound darted after it with a joyful bark.

"Is she…Your transportation?"

"Yeah." Percy ran a hand through his hair. "Annabeth found this study on hellhounds in his notes. Turns out there's a good reason you can't run from hellhounds, they can shadow travel. Go from one shadow to another almost instantly. It tires her out, but it should work."

Ame smirked as Ms. O'Leary came back.

"May I?"

Percy handed over the toy, and Ms. O'Leary gave Ame a curious look. The dog sat, then lay down fully, laying her head by Ame's feet. The kitsune leaned down, rubbing the hellhound's nose.

"Good dog, GO FETCH!"

Standing straight with lightning speed, the young girl threw the shield, making the dog scramble around to follow.

"Well," she turned back to Percy. "

I put my trust in you, son of Poseidon. Please bring back your cousin as soon as possible."Percy mock saluted her with a smile.

"Can do Ms. Kitsune, just sit tight, I'll keep in touch."

He whistled to Ms. O'Leary, who came romping back to him.

.:xXxXx:.

Ms. O'Leary stepped through the shadows, which still felt weird to Percy. He had practiced with her a few times over the school year (Him? Illegally call Ms. O'Leary to him at school? Psh, no WAY. (Can you hear the sarcasm yet?)), but it was nothing like traveling long distances.

At first there was a rush of cold, like being dropped into ice water without warning. Then there was a clammy feeling, and after that, a clinging sensation, as if something were holding onto him. Percy gritted his teeth and willed himself and Ms. O'Leary forward, refusing to be held back or trapped in the darkness.

When they broke through the barrier, Percy found himself somewhere in a more dilapidated area of New Orleans (or he assumed that's where he was. It looked a lot like the after hurricane photos he'd seen in his current events class). Percy raised an eyebrow, looking around.

He looked down at the compass in his hand, which was now pointing down the street towards more of the wreckage.

"Down there huh…? Well," he rubbed the back of his neck. "This is the voodoo central of the US. I guess it would attract Nico's attention."

Ms. O'Leary woofed in agreement.

"Okay, well, onward to down the creepy street then?"

Percy started walking, eyes looking down at the compass every now and again, Ms. O'Leary by his side. He wasn't totally concerned about what would happen if someone saw him, Ms. O'Leary would probably just look like a huge Doberman to a normal person. With luck, that would scare off a majority of people who wanted to mess with him.

Right now his main focus was Nico, and it was going to stay there until he found him. Nico may not be his best friend in the world, but he felt responsible for him and everything that had happened to him. And if that made Percy the over-protective older brother type, then fine.

The compass swung around down a corner, pointing him towards an even older part of the city. Percy glanced down at Ms. O'Leary, then started walking again, picking his way through some of the debris. For a second, he thought he heard footsteps, and paused, but when there was no follow up, he shrugged it off.

Regardless, his hand touched his pocket where Riptide was, just to be sure.

A few turns later and Percy was just going deeper and deeper into the one-time historical district. He had had to leave Ms. O'Leary behind a few streets back because she couldn't get over a huge pile of rumble. She had whined, but he promised to be back soon with her third favorite person in the world (Nico was third, Beckendorf was second.)

The compass was pointing straight ahead now and he hurried his steps. He was close, he could just feel it.

Just then, out of the blue, Nico diAngelo came rocketing around the corner, nearly running straight into Percy because he was looking over his shoulder.

"Nico!"

Nico's head snapped round.

"Percy! What the hell are you doing here?!"

"Looking for you!"

"Yeah? Well how about we run right now!"

Percy heard a distinct baying bark from where Nico had run and he nodded. Best not question if Nico thought they were in danger.

He grabbed Nico's arm and they started running, turning down a side street. As they ran, Percy made sure he was always exactly at Nico's side, never in front, never behind. He had nearly lost him once, he would never, ever do it again.

Another bark, closer this time, and Nico sped up, Percy matching his stride.

"So, uh, what," he took a puff of air. "Exactly are we running from?"

"Look behind us," Nico took a breath. "And see!"

Percy did, looking over his shoulder.

He almost stopped running.

"…They're puppies."

Indeed, Percy Jackson and Nico diAngelo were running from a pack of little puppies. There were pit-bulls, Dobermans, shepherds, and even a few seeming mutts. And they weren't puppy like, almost fully grown puppy, they were like little tiny even-the-ugliest-one is still cute puppies.

"Don't slow down you idiot!" Nico yelled, steering him down another side street.

"Nico! We're running from PUPPIES!"

"MORON!" Nico yelled, and if they had been standing still, Percy would have gotten a whack on the back of his head. "Those aren't puppies, they're baby hellhounds!"

Percy looked over his shoulder again, willing himself to see through the Mist this time. Suddenly, all the cute little puppies morphed into just what Nico had said they were, baby hellhounds. Slobbering, wild eyed, big as a fully grown dog, baby hellhounds. And they looked REEEEALLY hungry.

"Oh…Oh shit."

"YOU DON'T SAY!"

"RUN FASTER!"

And they did, speeding up until their lungs were starting to hurt. Percy had an idea and grabbed Nico's hand, pulling him down another side street. Nico looked at him with confusion.

"Ms. O'Leary!" was all he said in answer, but Nico seemed to get it.

They scrambled over rubble, jumped a few old fences, and managed to get two streets away from where Percy's pet hellhound was.

"Which way?!"

"Left!"

Nico darted off to the left and Percy followed, both of them glancing over their shoulders to look for their tiny attackers. They reached the pile of debris and Percy crouched to give Nico a leg-up.

"What?! No, you go up first Percy! Grab my hands and pull me up!"

"No Nico! You're going up first, the point of me being here was to bring you back to camp, I'll hold off the dogs and you go get Ms. O'Leary!"

"No I-"

"We don't have time to argue about this!"

Nico gritted his teeth, but relented. Percy helped him up, and, just as he was about to pull out Riptide, Nico growled.

"If you don't get up here right now Percy Jackson, I WILL kill you."

Percy looked up to see a determinedly glaring Nico, holding out his hand.

"…Fine."

With Nico's help, Percy managed to get to the top of the debris just in time. The puppies came hurtling down the road and Percy yelled;

"Go go go!"

They took off down the side of the pile, and Percy whistled for Ms. O'Leary. The huge hellhound ran towards them, serious air about her. She stopped by their sides and dropped to her stomach so they could get onto her back.

Percy helped Nico up first, then got on in front of him, and Ms. O'Leary stood.

"Hey girl." he said, patting her shoulder. "Just take us as close to Camp Half-Blood as you can okay? Can you do that?"

Ms. O'Leary barked happily and turned towards the closest patch of shadow. There was the sounds of about twenty dogs trying to get through the pile of debris and Nico looked over his shoulder apprehensively.

"Nico!"

He looked back at Percy.

"Hold onto me okay?"

Nico didn't argue, just wrapped his arms around Percy's waist, holding tight.

"Alright Ms. O'Leary, go!"

.:xXxXx:.

They emerged from the shadow into sunlight and had to cover their eyes for a minute. Once their eyes no longer felt like they were burning, the two boys slid from Ms. O'Leary's back, both of them telling her how good she did. The hellhound looked tired though, and, upon looking around, Percy deemed this a relatively safe spot to rest. It was pretty much a deserted field, they would see anything coming.

Besides, he was tired too, and this was in walking distance to Half-Blood hill. When and doubted he would just send Nico on ahead.

The trio collapsed in the shade, partly because it was cooler, and partly because if provided an easy escape if necessary.

"So…you can shadow travel?" Nico asked.

Percy nodded, smiling at the impressed tone of his voice.

"Yeah, I practiced over the school year."

"Wasn't Ms. O'Leary supposed to stay at camp?"

"…Shut up."

Nico chuckled.

They sat there for a second, just being calm and breathing.

"You know…"

Percy looked over.

"If instead of hanging onto Ms. O'Leary, try thinking of a really happy thought, lightest thing you can." he smiled softly. "It'll make travel easier."

"REALLY?" Percy said with interested. "How d'you know that?"

"I can shadow travel. Takes a lot of energy, so I only do it in a pinch, but I can do it."

Percy nodded his head, impressed.

"By the way, you said something about bringing me back to camp…Why do they want me there?"

Immediately, Percy launched into explaining everything that had happened from the time Ame arrived to the time he found Nico, leaving nothing out. Nico listened attentively, eyes never leaving Percy's face, absentmindedly scratching Ms. O'Leary's ears as he was spoken to.

It took a good half an hour to explain everything, and that was without any questions. It was another fifteen for all the questions to be answered, and by the time all had finished, they had been there nearly an hour. Percy didn't mind, talking to Nico was fun, and besides, it wasn't like he had much else to do.

"So…" Nico started. "Let's see if I've got this straight. We've got the last kitsune, who's a girl."

"Yup."

"Who's apparently under the rule of you and me considering Thalia has kinda abandoned us."

"Yes."

"And I'm wanted back at camp."

"Yes."

"Simply for safety's sake."

"Yeah."

"…..Oooookaaaay…."

Percy laughed.

"Well, yeah, it is kind of weird, but trust me, it's much more believable when you see her."

"Not to doubt you…" Nico said slowly. "But, wouldn't our fathers have said SOMETHING? I mean, from the sounds of it, this is sort of huge."

"You know how they LOVE their dirty little secrets. Case in point, you and me."

Nico chuckled this time, relenting to what Percy had said.

Another ten minutes passed where they just lay there in leisurely silence, thinking separate thoughts about different things. When the sun started to sink into the horizon, Percy looked up.

"Shall we head back to camp?" he asked the Hades boy.

Nico groaned mournfully.

"I'd rather not, but seeing as you'll get in trouble if I don't…" he got up. "Let's go."

The other boy rose and Ms. O'Leary jumped to her feet. Both half-bloods started walking, Ms. O'Leary between them, in the direction of Half-Blood Hill, perfectly comfortable in their companionable silence.

---

**A/N:** SO I LIKE PERCY BEING ALL OLDER BROTHER-Y. SO WHAT?!


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five:** The Oracle Comes to Dinner

As the pair of boys walked through Camp Half-Blood, they were greeted with mutters and stares. Most of them were directed at Nico, but a good portion got sent Percy's way all the same. They seemed to play mostly on the "Oh-look-it's-the-son-of-Hades-let's-all-hate-him-because-of-it" line of thought, but there was a lot of "Why-is-the-son-of-Poseidon-associating-with-that-trash" too.

Percy sent all whisperers glares, eyes icy. He walked a bit closer to Nico, Ms. O'Leary having retreated back to the training stadium already.

"Percy…" Nico muttered.

"Yeah?"

"You don't have to protect me."

An Apollo camper said something behind her hand and Percy narrowed his eyes at her.

"But I want to."

"Rumors will fly." he shot the elder half-blood a look. "Specifically about you and me."

"And?" Percy scoffed. "If I cared about rumors I wouldn't be here now."

He threw an arm around Nico's shoulders, rubbing a hand through his hair.

"We're family! And besides, you're the closest thing to a brother next to Tyson. Just because THESE IDIOTS" he emphasized the point so all could hear. "Think being the Prince of Ghosts is bad, doesn't mean I do."

Nico gave him a thankful look, and Percy grinned back.

They reached the cabins, and we greeted by the sight of Chiron waiting for them. He raised a hand in greeting and they waved back, coming up to stand beside him.

"Hello Nico." he said pleasantly, looking down at the half-blood boy. "You've gotten taller since I last saw you."

"You haven't changed much Chiron. Still shooting straight?"

"Indeed. Now then…" he gestured at the cabins. "As you can see, we weren't anticipating your arrival, so you are without a cabin."

The Poseidon half-blood winced.

"I'd offer you a bed in mine, but I dunno how dad would react."

Nico shrugged.

"It's okay. I can sleep in the forest, it wouldn't be the first time I slept outside."

Percy looked horror stricken at the thought that Nico would be without a bed, and Chiron came to the rescue.

"No need for that Nico, you can have one of the rooms in the Big House, that's free ground."

Percy relaxed again and Nico nodded.

"Thanks."

"Not a problem at all, now…" he looked up. "Ame! He's here!"

The two boys exchanged a confused look and the elder shrugged.

Just as they were about to ask what was going on, there was a rustling in the branches above them, and suddenly a black blur shot down from the trees. Percy yelped in surprise, jumping back as the figure landed, his younger friend also taking a step backwards in shock.

Ame arose from the crouched position she had landed in, dusting off her pants legs as she stood. She brushed a hand through her hair, looking over at Percy.

"I see you're back."

"Uh-huh. And not dead."

She quirked an eyebrow.

"Is there a reason you should be?"

"Hellhounds." Nico supplied. "Baby ones. With big teeth and really bad breath. …And the intent to kill us."

Ame nodded.

"Then yes, you're not dead. And it's a good thing too. I hate when godfather mopes."

"Godfather?"

Percy had heard his father referred to as a lot of things, godfather was not one of them.

"Yes. Technically, I'm the god's goddaughter."

"In a weird twisted way?"

"You've got it."

Just then, Percy noticed something. This whole time, Ame was addressing him, never looking at Nico. For someone who had requested he be brought back to camp, she wasn't paying him much mind. He was about to point this fact out, when he realized why she was ignoring Nico so purposefully.

"Oh, uhm, Nico."

Nico looked at him questioningly.

"Remember that thing I told you about, that she did to me?"

The younger half-blood nodded.

"Well, uh, I think she needs to do it to you too."

Nico raised an eyebrow in confusion, but Percy sent him a look and he shrugged.

"Okay. I don't see why not."

Within an instant, Ame's head had snapped around and she had connected her eyes with Nico's. Percy felt the same pull he had when he first looked into her eyes, but he pulled himself back, taking a step away from his friend. He now saw what Annabeth and Grover had been talking about.

Nico had gone completely rigid, eyes wide and body froze, not even breathing. His eyes were distant, as if in a totally different world. For a moment, he just looked shocked, then, a look of peaceful calm swept over him. And then it was over and he was back.

Nico blinked in shock, staring, still wide eyed at Ame. Ame stared right back, her eyes cool and calm, completely at ease with the situation at hand.

"You're an interesting character Nico diAngelo." she said in a soft voice. "I do hope to get to know you better."

.:xXxXx:.

Nico sat on one of the beds in the Poseidon cabin, staring at the floor. Percy was laying on the other bed, staring at the ceiling like it held the answer to all the mysteries in the universe. Neither boy was talking, each lost in their own thoughts, though ultimately, they both came back to the one person who had just introduced themselves into their lives.

While Nico was thinking over the experience of Ame's soul searching, Percy was just thinking about her in general. Who was she exactly? Where did she come from? Why was she here? She certainly hadn't told them the entire story, that was for sure.

"You'd think," he started out of the blue. "That they'd tell us about this."

"About what?" Nico asked.

"Ame."

Nico looked over at Percy.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, think about it for a minute. Ame's super important if you hadn't noticed, I mean, Zeus set up a barrier for her, and she can do stuff that apparently no one else can. You'd think our dads would at least call ahead you know?"

Nico shrugged.

"What for?"

"Do you REMEMBER what I told you about us in relation to her?"

"Yes."

Nico paused.

"Well, okay, good point, maybe calling ahead would have been nice. But when are the gods ever really nice to us."

"…………Good point."

Percy sighed, sitting up. He glared at the opposite wall,

"I just get the feeling that there's something else to this girl, something we don't know. Maybe multiple somethings." he rubbed a hand through his hair. "I dunno."

Nico shrugged.

"Kinda looks like it, yeah." he looked over at Percy. "But I think she's an okay person. She's not like Luke at any rate."

Despite what they said, neither could shake the feeling that something very, very bad was about to happen.

.:xXxXx:.

Annabeth and Grover met up with Percy and Nico on their way to the dining pavilion.

"Hey guys." Annabeth said cheerily, waving at Nico, who waved back. "When'd you get back?"

"A while ago." Percy said. "But we were kinda tired, and we had to talk to Ame, she did her soul search thing on Nico."

Grover winced a little.

"Was it bad?"

"Not really." Nico said slowly. "Weird. But nod bad."

The quartet passed Clarisse on their way to the pavilion, and instinctively, they grouped themselves around Nico. The Ares cabin girl glared in their direction, but didn't try to start any trouble for once. It might have had something to do with the fact that last time Nico had felt attacked, he had split open the earth and destroyed a bunch of Kronos' minions, but who's to say.

Grover looked around, as if he was searching for someone.

"Looking for Juniper?" Percy asked curiously.

"Nah, she's off helping some other Nymph fix her branches I think. I'm looking for Ame."

Percy glanced around, finding himself also unable to spot her.

"Is it possible she's already there?"

Grover shrugged at Nico's question.

"I guess."

Annabeth and Percy exchanged a look. Grover was totally pulling an Artemis on them, getting all moony eyed like he had for the Hunters.

They continued walking, and when they were almost there, there was suddenly a scream from up front.

Everyone froze where they stood, even Clarisse and the other Ares cabin children. They exchanged looks, wondering what the hell was going on.

Clarisse was the first to move, darting past other campers towards the dining pavilion, where the scream had come from. Percy and Nico were hot on her heels moments later, and Annabeth and Grover came quickly after.

By the time they reached the pavilion, people had started to gather and mutter amongst themselves. They pushed through the crowd towards the front, grumbling and shoving other campers out of the way. When Percy reached the front of the group, Nico in tow, he saw exactly why someone had screamed.

There, on a table in the middle of the pavilion, sat the Oracle, tie-dyed dress, beads and all. She was sitting in much the same position as she was upstairs in the attic, except, of course, she was here. And that was the weird thing.

The Oracle had only moved once before that Percy knew of. When it was delivering the prophecy of their last quest, the one with the Hunters of Artemis. And even then, she had only moved a small distance and then just sat there once the prophecy was done.

Yet here she was now, sitting atop a table as if waiting for someone.

Clarisse stepped to the front, staring curiously at the Oracle.

Just then, the Oracle moved, picking up her head. Everyone took a collective step backward away from the mummy. The Oracle opened her mouth, familiar green smoke billowing out and surrounding everyone as per usual.

Beside him, Nico tensed up and Percy grabbed his hand. This was Nico's first prophecy and he was probably confused as to what was going on, Percy knew he had been.

"_I am the Oracle of Delphi…."_

Grover swallowed and shuffled closer to Annabeth and Percy.

Everyone waited for someone to address the Oracle for their prophecy. After a minute, still no one had come forward and an air of nervousness had accumulated.

And then, out of nowhere, the Oracle started to talk.

"_Five shall go with the lost one found_

_The water, the fire, the earth, the air and the darkness_

_To find the lost pieces of the stars_

_One will break a parent's grudge_

_One will fight an old enemy_

_One will defy parent by wife's hand_

_In death two shall be buried_

_With wit and force will they be saved_

_But do not trust the melancholy wanderer_

_For a false road will he pave_

_If you stay as one_

_And learn to work to all your strengths_

_The heroes of the war be born_

_And victory shall be sound_

_But if you let even one go_

_No matter what the reason for_

_You will find yourself once more_

_Knocking upon death's door"_

The Oracle fell silent and the smoke slowly flitted back into her mouth. Her mummified jaw shut and she slumped again, sitting still on the table.

Everyone stared in utter shock, not knowing what to think.

"Well now."

All heads snapped to cool but dry voice from the other side of the table. There, leaning against a tree, was Ame, black eyes on the Oracle, seemingly completely uncaring. Her arms were crossed on her stomach, pose calm, but an air of guarded hostility around her.

"THAT was foreboding."

And Percy could swear, when she said that, she was staring straight at their group.

----

**A/N:** T'E PROPHECYYYYYY. WAZZIT MEAN? Only I know. Really. Kinda. Sort of.

Ee-hee-heeeeee.......................................

Sorry for the delay. Real plot starts soon-ish.


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six:** The Prophecy is Deciphered Over Cheeseburgers

"_Well now." _

_All heads snapped to cool but dry voice from the other side of the table. There, leaning against a tree, was Ame, black eyes on the Oracle, seemingly completely uncaring. Her arms were crossed on her stomach, pose calm, but an air of guarded hostility around her._

"_THAT was foreboding."_

_And Percy could swear, when she said that, she was staring straight at their group._

Ame pushed off the tree, walking into the clearing and towards the Oracle. She paused at the table where it sat, eyes still calmly on the group of campers.

"Chiron." she said. "I think it would be best if this prophecy were deciphered in private, don't you agree?"

Nico looked over at Chiron, who nodded gravely.

"I very much agree. Mr. D, I believe we will be dining in the Big House tonight."

Mr. D sighed as if that was the worst that could happen.

"If we must."

"And," Ame continued. "There's a few campers that should be brought along."

Now the muttering started up again. What did she mean other campers should be brought along? What was going on here?

Nico looked at Percy, who shook his head. He didn't understand this any better than him, and that made the younger nervous. Percy usually had the answers, now he didn't have any more of a clue than the next guy.

"Alright." grumbled Mr. D. "Just grab 'em and let's go."

Ame smirked in seeming triumph, walking around the table towards Mr. D and Chiron. As she passed the campers, she paused and said;

"You four, and you too, come with me."

Nico blinked in surprise. She had just pointed to their quartet and, turning around, Clarisse.

"Me?" the Ares girl asked, a little dumbfounded.

"I DID point to you you know. Now hurry up, I'm sure Mr. D is hungry."

She turned around and started walking again, turning her head and calling over her shoulder.

"And someone's going to need to move the Oracle."

.:xXxXx:.

The trek back to the Big House was probably the tensest that Nico had ever felt. Ame walked up front with Mr. D, neither of whom seemed in the slightest ill at ease. Chiron walked with them, probably as morale support more than anything else, and he alone seemed nervous. Clarisse walked on the opposite side of Chiron than their group, for whatever reason, while they stayed pretty tight knit. Nico did not miss however, the way that Grover and Annabeth shied away from him.

No doubt everyone back at the dining pavilion was all a twitter about what had just happened. A mysterious prophecy is made by the Oracle who has just MAGICALLY appeared on a table, then the new girl who in her first night had neutralized a chimera shows up and drags off a bunch of campers.

Yup. If rumors flew when he came in, rumors would fly now. Actually, forget flying, they would fucking TIME TRAVEL.

"Hurry it up!" Mr. D yelled over his shoulder. "The burgers will get cold!"

Percy and Nico exchanged a look of confusion, but hurried their steps.

Upon walking through the front door of the Big House, the smell of French fries and freshly cooked beef wafted into Nico's nose. His mouth couldn't help watering a bit at the smell, he hadn't eaten properly in days.

"Well." gruffed Mr. D, already in a seat. "Sit down. We've got things to talk about!"

Everyone took a seat, and Nico ended up between Chiron and Percy, which wasn't all that surprising. Once everyone was seated, no one moved but Mr. D, who was squirting ketchup on his burger. He picked it up and was about to take a bite when Ame shot him a look.

Dionysus sighed and set his burger down.

"You kitsune and your traditions…" he grumbled.

Over to his left, Nico heard Clarisse mutter; "The rumors were TRUE?"

The camp director snapped his fingers and a small fire appeared in the center of the table. Ame picked up her plate and spoon potato salad and a few grape tomatoes into the fire. No one commented on how she said no names for her offerings, and Nico guessed she was leaving it as an open offering to all.

Each camper quickly took their turn with a hurried mutter of their parent's name, though Nico did throw in a couple extra fries for Poseidon because he was letting Percy be his friend.

All offerings done, the fire disappeared and Mr. D picked up his burger again. He took a huge bite and started chewing, and everyone else took that as a sign to start eating.

The group ate in silence for a long few minutes, munching on their food thoughtfully, or in Grover's case, their silverware. Once or twice, Nico wondered how the hell the burgers had gotten there when they hadn't exactly planned on coming to the Big House for dinner. In the end, he decided that like many things in his life, he just didn't want to know.

Finally, when Mr. D finished his burger and his fries (no one else was even close to done) and had stared on his potato salad, the talking started.

"So, what do you make of it?" Mr. D asked in a bored voice.

Everyone started, wondering who he was addressing.

"It's curious." Apparently Ame.

"The Oracle has never moved on her own…"

"Last summer she did." Percy interjected. "But never so far."

Ame nodded her head, putting down her fork and steepling her fingers in front of her face.

"It's as if she were waiting for us."

"Us?" Grover squeaked.

"Of course." she raised an eyebrow at him. "Did you not notice that the Oracle only started her prophecy when Clarisse could see her? Coincidence's are not in the God's nature."

"Me?" Clarisse asked in confusion. "What do I have to do with anything? What do ANY of us have to do with anything?"

Ame sighed.

"Isn't it OBVIOUS?"

Blank looks all around.

"Told you they were idiots."

All glares were directed at Mr. D.

"_Five shall go with the lost one found/The water, the fire, the earth, the air and the darkness._" Ame quoted. "The lost one found obviously refers to me. Everyone thought my race were dead until I turned up. So that leaves the other five. The water, self-explanatory, that's Percy. The fire, fire has always either referred to Hestia or, in this case, Ares, Clarisse. The earth, that can be perceived as "nature" and that's Grover. The air would be Zeus in most cases, but seeing as the only child of Zeus is Thalia, it must refer to Annabeth, or Athena. And the darkness is once more self-explanatory, that's Hades, Nico."

Grover bleated.

"ME? I'm included in there!?"

"Of course." Ame said coolly. "Satyrs count as people in quest member counts, you know that Grover."

Clarisse's brow was furrowed.

"So wait, you didn't grab us by accident? You actually analyzed that part of the prophecy in that short time?"

Ame looked sort of surprised at her question.

"Of course…didn't you?"

No one said anything. That was a point that just would remain moot.

"What about the next line?" Annabeth spoke up. "_To find the lost pieces of the stars_. What's that mean?"

Dionysus snorted.

"That's a long story."

Ame rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"I don't know the story Chiron, not as well as you do, tell it will you?" she asked.

"A long time ago, back before even the Titans, a glowing object fell from the sky. Some legends say it fell through a black hole, some say it came from another dimension, no one is totally sure. The point is that it ended up here." Chiron began. "They say as it fell it caught the light in the most beautiful rainbow even Iris was jealous. When it fell, it shone an iridescent silver, and all who looked at it saw all different kinds of colors. Everyone agreed it had to be one of the most beautiful things in the world. When Kronos came into power though, he decided he didn't like it, and tried to destroy it.

The jewel broke into pieces before he got a chance, scattering over the world and into the deepest recesses of the universe. No one knew where they went, no one but an ancient Oracle (there were more than one back then), who wrote a ledger apparently, that would reveal the locations one by one.

Zeus used the ledger once, when he was trying to overthrow his father. He only found five pieces, but that's what helped create the great weapons, and win the war."

"How do you know that there were more than five pieces?" Nico asked.

"Because," Mr. D said. "Legend has it, that when all the pieces have been collected by one party, they will come together again and become one."

"And these jewel shards were called "Pieces of the Stars"?"

"Yes Annabeth." the centaur confirmed. "No one knew what else to call them. The jewel came from the sky, at night, so what else to assume but it was a star?"

"So," Ame said, leaning back in her seat and crossing her arms over her stomach. "We've got the six of us going looking for these pieces of the stars. What's next?"

"_One will break a parent's grudge/One will fight an old enemy/One will defy parent by wife's hand._" Grover said. "That sounds bad."

"Indeed." Mr. D said unconcernedly. "Obviously three of you is are going to be doing something stupid. Oh, and one of you is getting married."

"Now wait Mr. D, that could be referring to one of the God's wives." Chiron said. "Don't jump to conclusions."

"Parent's grudge, old enemy, and defying a parent. None of that sounds very good for us." Annabeth mused. "And neither does the next line, _In death two shall be buried_."

"_With wit and force will they be saved_." Ame quoted back. "It sounds like they won't be STAYING dead if we're lucky. Of course, _But do not trust the melancholy wanderer/For a false road will he pave_ might screw us over."

"If we remember that, it shouldn't." Clarisse said stubbornly.

"Sometimes people do not perceive things the way they are told."

"The next part sounds okay." Percy said. "_If you stay as one/And learn to work to all your strengths/The heroes of the war be born/And victory shall be sound._"

"Yes, but the last line worries me." Ame murmured, eyes narrowing slightly, staring at nothing.

"Why?"

"Usually, the first and last line of a prophecy rhyme. One would assume, based upon that, that this should be the last line. _Five shall go with the last one found_ and _And victory shall be sound_. But then there's a whole other stanza."

"Yes." Chiron agreed. "_But if you let even one go/No matter what the reason for/You will find yourself once more/Knocking upon death's door_."

There was a heavy silence as everyone thought, no one even bothering to pretend like they were eating anymore.

"When do we leave?"

All eyes turned to Annabeth. She shrugged.

"Well, I mean come on, we can't exactly get away from it can we?"

Everyone exchanged looks, kind of nervous, but kind of excited. This was a big quest, anyone could tell that, and it was their jobs to carry out.

"Day after tomorrow." Dionysus said. "We gotta tell the camp, and I'm sure your parents will want some say in something. And you've got to prepare. Tonight, just sleep, get as much rest as you can."

No one moved.

"…Well get going!"

Everybody jumped up at once.

.:xXxXx:.

Ame lay on her bed, eyes on the ceiling, twirling a canteen in her hand. She wore a tank top and a pair of sweat pants, one arm behind her head, ankles crossed. Her dark eyes were fixed on the canteen, as if she could see what was inside. The moonlight danced over her pale skin, lighting it up like a Hunter's, giving her a kind of soft glow. As the light hit her eyes, it made them shine with a warm light that was usually absent. She looked far more relaxed than she had been during the day, more like her age.

"What a pity…"

Ame smirked slightly, throwing the canteen up and catching it as it fell.

"Why are you being so cruel godfathers? Why are you involving innocent half-bloods?" she threw it again. "Or do even you not know what is going on? Are forces even you do not understand taking hold?"

The canteen seemed to hover in the air for a moment before falling a lot harder than it did the last two times. Ame caught it deftly with a wider smirk.

She lay the canteen by her head and turned on her side, looking out the window, staring up at the night sky. Her eyes roved from the stars down to the rolling hills of camp and landing finally on the waters of the ocean, glittering with the reflection of the skies. Ame traced along the cabins in the distance with her eyes, lingering on the Poseidon, Athena and Ares cabins when she came to them.

"This is what you wanted me to see?" she murmured softly, as if someone could overhear her. "This is what you wanted me to feel? This place your children, all your children, call home? But I have no place here. What are you trying to tell me, what am I not understanding? What grand scheme are you going on now?"

Ame sat up and picked up the canteen, slipping off her bed and walking across the room and putting the canteen inside a drawer on the dresser. She turned around once it was away and walked back to the bed, laying down again.

"Lord Morpheus, please allow me a good sleep." she murmured. "For once."

Even as she closed her eyes and started to drift off, Ame knew better than anyone that she would be getting no sleep once more. Though then again, when did she ever?

---

**A/N:**

I am SO SORRY. I was supposed to have internet on vacation, but then THEY LIED! TT^TT But I has internets nao!

AND I'M GOING TO ANIMEBOSTON TOMORROW. ALL WHO ARE GOING. TELL ME AND WE CAN MEET.

Yes. So. QUESTING. And I dragged Clarisse in cause I LUFFS HER. DEAL MATHAFACKAS.

I highly doubt that Rachel Elizabeth Dare will ever appear. I don't like her character. I just don't.

18 days till the contest is over! 9 entries and counting!


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven:** The Gods pay their children a visit

Annabeth Chase woke on the earlier side of the morning, eyes opening slowly and staring at the bunk above her. She laid there for what felt like hours, waiting for something, anything to happen, and when it didn't, she got up. The night before, she had made a list of what to pack, and tacked it on her bed.

She had also dodged every question that her fellow cabin-mates threw at her. Though, some of the accusations about Ame just had to be quashed for the sake of the girl's reputation. She didn't know her too well, but Annabeth could tell the girl was prideful.

Annabeth rose from her bed, unable to get back to sleep. They had been excused from activities today so they could say their good-byes and pack their things for the trip. So, in reality, she had the license to sleep in, but Annabeth couldn't sleep, there was too much to think about. Ame, the kitsune, the Gods, the prophecy…The list went on.

The Athenian girl got dressed slowly, taking her time to draw out the minutes, being careful to keep quiet so as not to disturb her cabin-mates. As soon as she was dressed, Annabeth sat back down on her bed and pulled out Daedalus' laptop, opening it carefully. She leafed through files, looking for something, anything, she didn't care what.

Half of her expected to find nothing, and the other half was praying that he had SOME kind of research on kitsune.

In the end, she came up with a single file, a single page's worth of information. It was only a drawing at that, no words, just a drawing, but it was unmistakably a kitsune.

The woman had long silver hair, and beautiful blue eyes, slanted, but sparkling with some kind of emotion. She wore a kimono-like dress, sweeping around her legs, hugging to her waist and hips. Atop her head was a pair of silvery-white fox ears, and a from the folds of her dress, a long fox tail. She was beautiful, and exuded an aura not unlike Ame did.

"Ah, yes. Daedalus did try to compile some works on the kitsune, but I wouldn't let him."

Annabeth jumped and spun around on her bed to find a shimmering image in the window.

"Mom!" she squeaked. "When'd you-?!"

"I just got here."

Athena smiled.

"How are you my daughter? Sleep alright?"

"I slept well, thank you mother." Annabeth turned around and sat on her knees to look at her mother. "But you don't come to see me often mom, what's going on?"

Athena tucked some of her blond hair behind her ear.

"I wanted to check up on you before your big quest tomorrow. It's not every day one of my children is sent on a quest with the last kitsune. Tell me, what's she like?"

Annabeth proceeded to describe Ame to her mother, and despite the fact that she found herself babbling, it felt good. It felt nice to just tell someone everything she was thinking at the given moment.

"So you like her?"

"I wouldn't say, LIKE her per say, but she's not bad. I want to talk to her more, she seems smart."

"She will be." Athena smiled more. "I gifted the kitsune with a great level of intelligence."

"You did?" Annabeth as in an interested voice. "Are YOU the one who created them?"

"No, it wasn't me."

"But you know who it was."

"Yes."

"….Care to elaborate on that mom?"

Athena laughed.

"Sorry Annabeth, you're on your own." then her eyes flashed in a secretive sort of way. "Except for one thing."

"What?"

"I know where the ledger is."

.:xXxXx:.

Grover sat alone by the river, hands fiddling listlessly with his reed pipes. He had to go see Juniper and tell her good-bye soon, but for right now, he was just going to think.

He had never been the bravest of satyrs, but it wasn't like he was weak either. Grover just worried a lot of the time, and could you blame him? Now that Pan was gone, well… There was a lot to worry ABOUT. And now he was going on this QUEST…

Grover was used to heading out on quests with Percy and Annabeth, but here was Ame, and a quest he was being FORCED to go on. And on top of that, he had been identified as "The Earth", "The Nature" as it were. That was a high position for a normal person, but her was a satyr. Nature was his THING.

Now he was the representative of it or whatever.

Grover bleated softly. He wasn't cut out for this hero stuff, no way no how.

"I wish Pan were still around…" he mumbled. "He'd know what to do."

As soon as Grover had finished his sentence, something whipped through the trees, sort of the wind, sort of not. There was a sweet smell wherever it went, and then, as it passed Grover, a soft voice.

"You can do it…."

.:xXxXx:.

Clarisse twirled her spear in her hand, not even bothering to look like she was training anymore. Her brain was elsewhere entirely.

Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase and Grover Underwood were three people she was used to hearing about going on quests, especially together. Her on the other hand, she had gone on one, and in the end, she had needed those self same people's help. Why now she was being called forward as a representative of "Fire", of camp, of Ares, she didn't understand.

It wasn't that Clarisse was insecure about herself, and it wasn't that she didn't want to go. It was the fact that she was…scared, per say, of why she was going. What if she was that quest member that was just going to die? Just because it wasn't mentioned in the prophecy, didn't mean it wouldn't happen.

Clarisse rubbed her knuckles against her temples, eyes closed and brow furrowed. If it weren't so early in the damn morning, she would be talking to Chris. But alas, it was way too early for anyone with a good sense of time to be awake, and usually, even Clarisse herself would be asleep right about now.

The Ares girl rose from where she had been sitting, starting to twirl her spear again. Out of nowhere, she slashed out at one of the practice dummies, chopping off its shield. Next went its head, then the next dummy lost its hands.

"Not bad, but you could do to raise your spearhead just a fraction."

Clarisse jolted and spun around to stare at the fallen shield. In it, a face was now shimmering.

"Father!"

Ares grinned at his daughter.

"Yo."

She dropped to her knees in front of the shield.

"Father, what are you doing here?"

"Checking up on you of course. Everyone up here's heard about the quest, thought I'd check up on my rep y'know?"

Clarisse couldn't help biting her bottom lip slightly.

"Yeah, yeah, I uh, I wanted to talk to you about that."

Ares raised an eyebrow.

"Why me?" she asked slowly, ready for her father to blow up any second. "Why am I going on this quest? I'm not the oldest in our cabin…surely there's someone better than me to go…"

Ares seemed to contemplate for a moment.

"You saying you don't want to go?" he finally asked.

"No no!" Clarisse answered quickly. "I want to go! I just…don't know why I'm going."

"You, Clarisse LeRue, are going, because you're the strongest Ares camper."

Clarisse blinked. Had her father just said that?

"And because you're the fastest, and the smartest, and most of all, you're my favorite."

Clarisse tried not to smile, really she did.

"Now keep on training, and make me proud."

The young Ares girl mock saluted as her father's image disappeared from the shield. As soon as he was gone, she rose from where she was sitting and hefted her spear.

"A little up, was it?" she murmured, preparing herself in a new stance.

.:xXxXx:.

Percy ran a hand through his hair, eyes bleary from sleep. He hadn't slept so well last night, his mind working overtime with all the new information, even when he told it to shut itself down. Now he was paying the price, and no doubt he'd have circles under his eyes today, but at least he still had tonight to get some sleep.

He looked over at his clock, covering his mouth as he yawned. As he saw the time, he groaned and flopped back on the bed. How had he managed to wake up this early?! He should still be sleep right now!

*For that matter, what woke me?*

Just then, Percy noticed the bubbling sound of his fountain was a lot quieter than usual, barely noticeable at all. He sat up and looked over at it, to find the familiar shimmering rainbow of an Iris Message.

Percy stared for a minute, then jumped up.

He patted down his pockets and rifled through his drawer, cursing in Greek as he looked for a drachma. Upon finally finding one, he scurried quickly over to the fountain and threw it in.

"Thank you."

The automated voice dissolved as the picture became clearer, revealing the underwater palace of Poseidon. For a moment, no one was in the picture and Percy just stared at the background.

Fish swam in and out of a water logged room, perfectly content to come through the windows and doors at their leisure. Seaweed grew on the floor and coral swarmed up the walls, little bubbles of air carried themselves up to the ceiling every now and again. Percy was practically salivating at the sight of it. What he wouldn't give to be down there…

"Brother!"

Percy jolted then grinned.

"Tyson!"

Percy's baby brother appeared in the spray, grinning like he always was, cow brown eye shining with happiness.

"Hello brother! Are you okay?"

Percy relaxed, sitting cross legged on his floor.

"Yeah, I'm okay big guy. How're you? The other Cyclopes treating you alright?"

"Oh yes! Other Cyclopes are veeeeery nice to me! They like hearing about your adventures!"

The Poseidon half-blood blushed.

"C'mon Tyson, I'm not that great."

"You are big brother! Other Cyclopes are always impressed when I tell them about you!"

Percy knew he had a goofy grin on his face but he couldn't help it. Hearing his little brother's voice always made him happy, and his praise was a nice alternation from Clarisse's usual death threats.

"Oh, yes, and brother, daddy wanted to talk to you."

Percy perked up even more.

"Dad?"

Tyson moved to the side, and the King of the Sea came into view. He smiled at his son.

"Hello Percy, how are you?"

"I'm-I'm great dad." he said a little breathily. "I'm doing awesome."

Poseidon's smile widened.

"I'm glad. How's Ame treating you? You're getting along, I hope."

"Yeah, yeah we get along. She's cool. I mean," he shrugged. "It'd be nice if she smiled every now and again, or showed any kind of emotion, but, hey, I can deal."

Poseidon nodded.

"Yes, well, I'm sure she'll warm up to you soon enough. Give her a little time." the king looked off to the side as if someone had called him. "I must go, but Percy…"

"Yes dad?"

"The sea will always be with you, whenever you need it."

Percy quirked a small smile.

"Yeah, I know."

.:xXxXx:.

Nico sat on a rock in the middle of the forest, polishing his sword with a cloth, eyes fixed on the black iron like it was the most interesting thing in the world. On the outside, he appeared calm and collected, as though he had not a care in the world. That wasn't quite the story on the inside though, most certainly not.

Nico's heart was thundering and his head was spinning. No matter how he looked at it, this wasn't supposed to happen, not now, possibly not ever. He knew he was strong, and smart, and had his own range of talents that could and would be useful on a quest but regardless…

Regardless, he was a son of Hades, and nothing against his father but…he was Hades. Was there really much else to be said?

Nico sighed softly.

He wasn't cut out for team work and all that, he was a loner, the kind of guy who hung back and operated from the shadows. Whatever the universe was thinking, making him go on this quest, they were obviously insane. He wouldn't be surprised if he did nothing but get in the way.

But then there was that thing about not leaving anyone behind. Nico had this sinking feeling that had been there specifically to stop everyone from abandoning him, the odd one out.

*I'm going to screw this whole quest up, I just know it.* he thought dully.

He closed his eyes, hanging his head.

*Father hasn't even spoken to me…*

Just as he thought this, there was a soft sucking sound and kind of squelch. Nico's eyes snapped open and he looked down at his feet. In between his shoes, there was a patch of fresh dirt, as though it had just been dug up. Laying on top of the small dirt pile, was a band of pure silver, just large enough to fit around Nico's ring finger.

Nico leaned down and picked the ring up, turning it in his fingers. He was about to wonder what it was, when he saw the inscription inside.

"Ο γιος μου, ο Πρίγκιπας του Σκότους"(1)

Tears sprung into his eyes, but he willed them valiantly back. Raising an arm, he rubbed at his eyes, still staring down at the ring.

"Thanks dad…" he mumbled to the air.

Nico felt a small chill on his shoulder, as if someone had laid a hand made of ice there and he smiled.

.:xXxXx:.

Ame splashed cold water on her face, bangs pushed behind one ear so they wouldn't get soaked. She stood there, back hunched over the sink, eyes closed, water dripping off her nose, hands resting on the edge of the counter for a while.

Her mind was blank, devoid of thought or emotion, uncaring to whatever her body willed her to feel. She was unworried by the quest she would embark on the next day, her mind completely used to the idea of impending danger. If there was something to fear, she would fear it when she was staring it in the face, not now.

Silently, she raised her head. Reopening her eyes, she turned around and gently took a towel off the rack, bringing it to her face and wiping off the water.

"Ame."

She let go of the towel, allowing it to fall to the floor, and stood straight. Turning once more, she found three people watching her in the mirror.

The faces of Zeus, Poseidon and Hades were all calm and serene, though all seemed a tad apprehensive.

"Hello my Lords." she bowed slightly. "What do I owe the honor?"

"You of all people hardly need ask." Poseidon said evenly.

Ame smirked slightly.

"True as that may be."

The four were silent for a moment, before Zeus spoke.

"Are you confident you can execute this quest?"

Ame examined her nails thoughtfully.

"I hardly pretend to be one who understands the Oracle's words, but I am confident that I will be able to lead your children to the best of my abilities, yes."

Zeus nodded.

"Then there is nothing else for me to ask of you."

His picture faded from the mirror, but Hades and Poseidon remained.

"Ame, please, try to work with them as a team. I'm sure you've grown accustomed to working alone, however…"

Ame raised an eyebrow as Poseidon trailed off.

"Just…be careful, alright?"

She nodded.

"I will be."

Poseidon's face faded, leaving Ame alone with Hades.

Their dark eyes connected and neither looked away, or so much as blinked. They didn't speak a word, but Hades suddenly nodded to her, and she closed her eyes briefly in acknowledgment. With that, he too disappeared, leaving Ame once more alone in the bathroom.

.:xXxXx:.

As the day came to a close, none of the six questers could fathom where the daylight hours had gone. Dinner too, seemed to pass in a hurry and before they knew it, it was lights out and they were back in their beds. Their sleep went unhindered, and yet none of the children could even start to imagine what would take place at the start of their quest, the next day.

---

**A/N:**

_Translation_

1.  
Ο γιος μου, ο Πρίγκιπας του Σκότους

My Son, the Prince of Darkness

YES THAT WAS A HADES FAMILY AFFECTION MOMENT. Now shut up about it.

Yes, so, that was a filler chapter if I ever saw one, but it needed to be there. *looks at list of things to put in comments* Ahhh.... Next chapter the quest begins, how they will fare or, hell, where they're going...uh...I'm still working that out.

There are fifteen more days until the cover contest is over, if you're going to enter, do it fast.

YES THIS IS SLOW BUILDING ROMANCE. GIMME A BREAK PEOPLE, THEY JUST MET FOR GOD'S SAKE.

I dedicate this chapter to ZombieOwl on dA, because she's just awesome. Thanks for reading this even though it isn't Percy/Nico!


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight:** Everyone gets a lift from a very special postal carrier

The day was bright and easy, a few clouds in the sky and more off the horizon, birds chirping and the wind brushing through trees. The serenity of the scene that was Camp Half-Blood was utterly misleading to all who saw it. In fact, there had seldom been a more hectic morning ever seen at the strawberry-growing camp.

Percy and Annabeth were double and triple checking what they had packed, going over checklists in their heads and wondering if they should pack more socks. Clarisse was saying goodbye to Chris and trying to reassure him she'd be okay, even though she appreciated the celestial bronze knife he pressed into her hand for good luck. Grover was in much the same situation with Juniper, only they were having a harder time getting away from each other, they kept fussing.

The only two who weren't totally perturbed were Ame and Nico, who both remained up at the Big House, with no one to say goodbye too.

Nico continually turned the silver ring in his hand, reading and rereading the inscription. He kept expecting the words to disappear at any second, to have it just be a ring. But no. No, it seemed that his father was giving his support, showing his son and that yes, he was there for him. It made Nico feel a little giddy.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ame enter the room and quickly hid the ring in the palm of his hand. Ame made no comment, just walked over to the other couch and sat down, curling her feet up underneath her. She stared out the window, eyes faraway and thoughtful, not quite ignoring Nico, but not totally acknowledging he was there.

Nico didn't mind, he hadn't been expecting much different, really. Deciding that Ame wouldn't notice, or probably even care, he brought out the ring again and started to turn it in his hands.

"He really cares about you, you know."

Nico jumped. Apparently Ame had noticed.

"W-what?" he asked shakily.

"Hades. He doesn't act like it, I know, but he truly cares about you Nico."

Their eyes met and Nico found himself once more drowning in a sea of black crystal.

"You think?" he asked quietly.

"I know." she nodded to the ring. "Would you have that if he didn't?"

Nico looked down at the ring again, then back up at Ame. He was just in time to catch the faintest hint of maybe a smile, and a quiet tone of kindness in her eyes.

"Don't doubt yourself Nico. Hades is just as much a god as Zeus or Poseidon."

.:xXxXx:.

Four half-bloods, one centaur, one god, one satyr and one kitsune were all lined up at the top of Half-Blood Hill. The half bloods stuck close together with the satyr, while they watched the kitsune playing with the guardian dragon on the golden fleece. And she really was PLAYING with him, rubbing his nose until he playfully snapped at her, then dancing away and back again.

"You know…" Grover said. "Anyone else would be dead about now."

The four teens couldn't help nodding their agreement.

"Argus is here." Chiron commented.

The sleek black car traveled smoothly down the road and came to a stop at the bottom of the hill, waiting for them. Ame stopped playing with the young dragon, momentarily dropping down to pet his nose and murmur that they would meet again soon, before starting down the hill. Nico followed behind her instantly, then Percy, then the last three members of their group. Some waved over their shoulders at Chiron and Mr. D, but Ame just kept walking without care.

When they reached the car, Argus got out and opened the door for Ame, allowing her to get in. Nico followed her and sat across from her on a second bench of seats that hadn't been there last time anyone had ridden in the car. Everyone divvied themselves up amongst the seats, pretending to not care who they ended up next to.

Unsurprisingly, Percy ended up next to Nico with Annabeth on his other side, leaving Clarisse to sit next to Ame, and Grover next to her. Everyone's knees were practically touching, but no one commented about it.

Argus got in and started the car, pulling out of the driveway and back onto the street towards the city.

"Oh, Argus." Ame said, leaning forward a bit.

The man covered in eyes looked at her in the rearview mirror.

"Could you please take us to the west side of Central Park? Thank you."

Argus nodded and started driving, leaving the group to silently watch the hills roll away as they started out on their quest.

.:xXxXx:.

For a Monday morning in the summertime, it was unseasonably dreary outside. Clouds hung low in the sky, and almost everyone had retreated inside to escape possible rain. A few daring groups of friends continued to play in Central Park, but they were always glancing up at the sky, which looked like it could open up and drop at any minute.

When Percy voiced this observation, Ame glanced up, then smirked.

"Zeus is giving us a little cover as long as we're on his turf." she said calmly.

Well, it was nice to know that at least the god of the sky was on their side, even if in previous times he hadn't been.

Argus stopped on the west side of Central Park, parking the car and allowing everyone to get out. As the group left the car, they all checked and double checked their respective bags, hefting them a little higher on their shoulders. Once they were all out, Ame said something to Argus and he nodded, getting back in the car and starting the engine.

"Where's he going?" asked Clarisse.

"Back to camp. No use for him here, after all."

Everybody watched Argus drive off, eyes riveted on his license plate and back windshield. It sunk in then, for most of the party, that this was really happening. That this wasn't some practical joke, they were really going on this quest.

Percy cleared his throat.

"So, Ame, why here?"

Ame turned away from the road to look at Percy.

"It's pretty much the easiest way to the center of the park, from where we can go wherever we need to." she cocked her head to the side. "That is assuming one of your parents was kind enough to give us a hint as to where we're going."

Annabeth's eyes instantly lit up.

"Yes! My mom told me where the ledger is!"

"She did?!"

Everyone (excluding Ame who still looked calm) stared wide eyed at Annabeth.

"Athena told you…?" Percy reiterated.

"Yeah, she did. And you'll never guess where it is!"

Just then, there was a sound like a foghorn, which made no sense because they were in the middle of the city.

Automatically, they formed a tighter group, specifically around Ame, looking over their shoulders. Generally, when weird sounds appeared in the middle of nowhere, it meant something inhuman was behind it. Inhuman translated to evil and ancient Greek of some sort. Not fun.

"I thought you said Zeus was protecting us?" Clarisse said nervously.

"I said he was giving us cover. That means nothing far away will notice we've left camp, but any nearby monsters will notice us here." Ame said, and Percy was surprised to hear a nervous lilt to her voice. "I wasn't expecting them to come so soon…"

Percy, ever the leader, subconsciously maneuvered people into positions where they would be most useful. (Himself and Grover closest to Ame, Nico in front of him, Annabeth by Grover and Clarisse on the flank.)

"Alright…" he mumbled. "Let's go. What direction Annabeth?"

"Way we're facing, straight for now, I'll throw directions out as needed." she answered in her no-nonsense voice.

"Keep close." Clarisse voiced calmly.

Not that anyone needed to be told that.

The group started walking in the direction Annabeth indicated, eyes shifting around for any signs of an enemy. Once, a couple tried to break between them, and out of habit, Nico was going to politely move aside. Instead of being able to, Percy grabbed his arm and squeezed, hard, and Nico seemed to recall why they were so tight knit, and didn't move.

The streets were mercifully empty, and more than once Percy thanked Zeus in his head for throwing up these clouds for them.

They walked for a good ten minutes without interruption, everyone close to one another. But at around the fifteen minute mark, things went a little wrong. As a truck passed them by, the foghorn sounded again and Nico paused.

"Nico." snapped Clarisse. "Get MOVING."

"Shut up Clarisse." Percy hissed back, then to Nico, "What is it?"

"I just…." he narrowed his eyes as he looked over his shoulder. "I swear I've heard that sound before."

Another foghorn, only closer, and it didn't sound so much like a foghorn anymore, more like baying…

Nico's eyes widened.

"Oh gods."

"What?"

Nico was backing up, hand on Percy's jacket sleeve.

"We should go. Now."

"Why?" Annabeth asked. "What is it?"

"Not it, they. And they are full grown hellhounds. Not Ms. O'Leary size full grown hellhounds, CEBERUS size full grown hellhounds."

Percy's eyes widened.

"How the hell does the Mist disguise THAT?!"

"I don't really want to stick around and find out!"

The baying sounded closer and sure enough, it sounded a hell of a lot more like barking now.

"Any suggestions Nico?"

"Run. FAST."

And they did, spinning on their heels and running, still in their tight circle. Annabeth called out which direction to go and they did, feet pounding on the asphalt as quick as they could. Percy stuck close to Ame and Nico, making sure both were always in his peripheral vision.

They rounded a corner and Grover yelped as he nearly tumbled into a trash can.

"_Di immortales!_" Annabeth cried in fury. "We must have taken a wrong turn!"

They were at a dead end, with no side alleys.

"There has to be a way…" Ame mumbled, looking around quickly.

"We can't turn around." Nico muttered, also looking around. "The hounds will get to us."

He worried his bottom lip, then said.

"I could shadow travel out and lead them away, but then I wouldn't know where you guys were…."

"No."

All eyes turned to Ame to find her staring hard at the side street's entrance.

"You are NOT going out alone Nico. If we must, we will fight. Hellhounds will be the least of our worries on this journey."

Ame's eyes turned to Nico, and he felt an odd sense of calm washing over him.

"We'll find a way out of this."

Just as she said it, the truck that had passed them earlier pulled up over the street entrance. Most of the group tensed, but Ame smirked.

"And there it is."

As if on cue, the back doors of the truck opened, and Ame darted forward. In one graceful move, she had jumped up into the back of the truck amongst the bags of letters and boxes. Turning, she motioned to the others.

"Hurry."

No one needed telling twice. They all darted forward into the truck, Percy going last and closing the doors.

Ame had settled herself against the back of the driver's seat, and tapped his armrest when they were all in. The driver started the truck and pulled out of the alley, driving down the street just little over the speed limit.

"Won't they attack the truck?" Clarisse asked.

"Nope."

Ame's voice was casual and even.

"You sure?"

"Positive."

Annabeth chuckled suddenly.

"Y'know Nico, for the son of Hades, you have the worst luck with hellhounds."

Nico playfully stuck out his tongue at her.

"Shaddup. A bunch went rogue last summer, a lot of female especially, and they're the more violent. The ones under my father's command won't attack if they see me."

Meanwhile, Percy was looking at a piece of mail under his foot, and picking it up, he found why it was odd.

"…To Demeter, From the Satyr Nature's Society…?" he read in confusion.

Clarisse had picked up a package.

"From Calliope(1) to Erato, hope the Siren's concert is going well…?"

Grover had a postcard now.

"To Aphrodite from Adonis?"

"To the Fields of Asphodel six hundredth space to the right, left corner?"

Everyone exchanged looks.

"Ame…" Percy asked slowly. "Who is this guy…?"

"Well who else would he be?" she asked calmly.

They stopped at a red light and the driver turned to grin at them.

"Hermes, messenger of the gods of course."

---

**A/N: **

1- Can be spelled with a "K" instead.

OMGGGGGG. You should all LOVE me SO MUCH. I finished this before I even finished my Social Studies homework. AND I have the next THREE chapters planned out!

But I have to finish this Social Studies journal thing. BE PATIENT.

And look. Ame actually talked in this chapter. Sort of.


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine:** Modern Art tries to kill everybody

"_Ame…" Percy asked slowly. "Who is this guy…?""Well who else would he be?" she asked calmly._

_They stopped at a red light and the driver turned to grin at them._

"_Hermes, messenger of the gods of course."_

The five half bloods (well, four half bloods one satyr) all gaped at Hermes.

"H-Hermes, when'd you…?"

Hermes turned back around in his seat, starting to drive again at the green light.

"Well, I heard from a friend who knows some people who knows a naiad or two, who happened to have heard that you lot were going on a quest." his grin widened in the rearview mirror. "I couldn't just let you go without helping out."

"Zeus had us covered." Clarisse said.

"Well, yeah, but those hellhounds didn't seem to notice, did they? Zeus's covers are good for long range stuff, but monsters tend to have good noses."

No one commented when thunder rumbled.

Ame shifted herself slightly so she couldn't be seen from the open portion of the truck. Percy noticed, a little surprised, that she was pressing herself back against the seat, the way a kid does with their feet on long drives to annoy the driver in front of them. Only, she seemed to be doing it to be closer to Hermes, as opposed to annoying him.

This was the most relaxed he'd seen her, and that was weird, because most often, people got tense around the gods. Ame looked as though she had never been anywhere most comfortable than on top of a pile of letters sitting behind the god of messengers.

"So, where to kids?"

Annabeth moved forward so she was sitting about a foot from the open side of the truck, in a position where she could see Hermes and he could see her out of the corner of his eye.

"Museum of Modern Art please." she said with a grin of her own.

"The MoMA? Annabeth, we don't have time to go see a bunch or new-age artists." Percy complained.

Annabeth sent him a scathing glance.

"Percy, I KNOW that! It's where the ledger is!"

Nico raised an eyebrow.

"The ledger is in the museum? Wouldn't it be in the Natural History Museum then?"

Hermes laughed and all eyes turned back to him.

"So Athena decided to help out huh? That's like her." he winked at Nico. "And you young sir, are correct, only, that'd be if the ledger kept its original form."

Grover groaned.

"You don't mean…"

"Yup, it's modernized itself to blend in."

Grover's head flopped forward into his hands.

"Great….Athena didn't mention what it would look like, did she?"

"No, sorry, just location."

Ame hummed in thought.

"Then it could be anything, and anywhere."

.:xXxXx:.

Everyone exited the truck down another side alley, Clarisse jumping out last and closing the doors. They walked to the front of the postal truck and looked in at Hermes. The god winked at him and did a half salute.

"Take care you lot, okay?"

"We will. Thanks for the help Hermes." Percy smiled at the god.

"No prob, and don't worry, the MoMA isn't somewhere I'd expect to run into monsters."

Annabeth looked at the man in confusion.

"How come?"

"Well, let's just say…it's got its own guard dogs of sorts."

It was another one of those godly "I-know-something-but-wont-tell-you" things and everyone knew it. Hermes had that hereditary mischievous glint in his eyes that just told everyone that he was hiding something.

"Alright." Ame said calmly.

She climbed into the cab and did something no one was expecting. Leaning over, she kissed Hermes' cheek affectionately.

"Be careful Lord Hermes, many an old ones are rising. As a traveler, you are most at risk."

"You worry too much Fox." he ruffled her hair. "But I promise to take care of myself. You do the same."

"Yes sir."

She jumped out of the car again then turned around to face it again. She made the anti-evil sign on her chest, and the other's followed suit. Hermes returned the gesture before starting the car again and driving off.

They watched him go, before Ame shifted the way the weight of her bag fell on her shoulder and started walking. Her brisk pace was unexpected, but not unmatched as her comrades followed suit after her. The instant they left the side alley, they were back into a smaller than usual but still sizeable crowd. Apparently, the storm was still having an effect on the masses.

"How old are you?"

The group exchanged a look.

"Uh…I'm 16, Nico's 15, Annabeth's my age, and Clarisse is…" Percy looked at her.

"I'm 17, almost 18."

"There."

"Huh." Ame's voice held a kind of surprised air to it. "I really am youngest here. Too bad, seems like we'll have to pay for a few of you."

She said no more, just weaving through the crowd and into the museum's glass doors, not even looking back to make sure they were following.

"Is it just me," Clarisse mumbled. "Or does she have a problem with us?"

"I don't think it's distinctly with us, but yes, she has some sort of issue."

Clarisse and Percy exchanged a look. That was the first time they had ever agreed on anything.

.:xXxXx:.

Ame crossed her arms, looking around the lobby of the MoMA with calm eyes. The rest of the group were buying their tickets in, but she, being only fourteen, got in free. Her eyes roamed around for some sign of anything ancient Greek related, but as she had originally assumed, there was no indication of any kind of art much older than fifty or sixty years at most.

*So.* she thought to herself, at once going into business mode. *We've got three floors, the roof and the garden to search. No idea what we're looking FOR, and no idea how to figure out its it if we do find it.*

Ame raised a hand, pressing the nail side of her finger to her bottom lip, biting said lip slightly.

*The easiest thing to do would be to eliminate where it ISN'T, first of all, so we should basically go around the floors.*

"'Ey, we got our tickets!"

Ame turned to face Percy and the others as they walked up to her.

"I suggest," she said, not even waiting for them to say anything. "That we do a basic tour of the current establishment, it's only three floors, four if you count the roof, and the garden. We should split up."

The other teenagers exchanged looks and Ame waited for them to finish.

"Okay." Percy said. "I've been here once with my mom. The garden is full of sculptures, and people, I think we should all go around there, then split up throughout the floors."

"Fine by me. Annabeth and Grover, take the first floor, Clarisse, the second," she paused. "If you're okay on your own."

"Of course." Clarisse said gruffly.

"Alright, and that leaves Nico and Percy with the third floor."

"Where will you be?"

Ame smirked devilishly at Grover.

"I'll take the roof."

Locations decided, they all turned around and Percy raised an eyebrow.

"By the way, anyone know the deal with that big blue thing?"

Everyone looked up.

There was a huge blown up figure at the top of the steps, obviously of someone's character.

"He's from one of Tim Burton's short films."

Eyes turned to Nico, who flushed.

"I like Tim Burton's work okay…?"

Ame locked eyes with Nico for a moment and she saw him flush slightly again. She herself remained impassive, before breaking eye contact and looking at Percy.

"Shall we?"

"Alright."

Percy led them up the steps and to the door in the glass back wall that led out to the garden. The instant they were out, Ame slipped off in another direction, only pausing to press a slip of paper in the Poseidon child's hand.

Looking down at it as she disappeared, he found a cell phone number and felt an odd jolt of happiness. He didn't even know Ame HAD a cell phone. It was nice that she felt trusting enough to give it to him.

Everyone split off, but Percy grabbed Nico, which the younger boy didn't seem to mind at all. They trailed off along the edge of the garden, looking at each statue in turn. They would circle around at least once or twice before moving to the next statue, looking for some sort of mark.

The Greeks, as they all too well knew, were arrogant and pompous bastards. If they made something, or hid it, they're mark it with some kind of signature to prove it was theirs first. Once, they came across a bronze statue and got hopeful, but, well, then Percy recognized Daedalus' mark.

"Automaton." he mumbled to Nico.

"Damn."

It took them a full thirty five minutes to do the complete rounds and catch sight of Clarisse.

"You find anything?"

"Nada."

Clarisse sighed.

"Damnit all, knew it wouldn't be that easy. Look, Ms. Brains and goat-boy finished their run a while ago, they're already off taking care of their floor. I've got no idea about the kitsune, but I'm done too."

"So are we. You're taking the second floor right?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, we'll be on the third."

Without asking, Percy grabbed her hand, and, using a pen he had in his pocket (not Riptide, another one), scribbled out his phone number on her palm.

"Keep in touch."

He darted off with Nico before Clarisse could figure out if she was mad at him or not, sprinting up the stairs to the third floor as quick as they could.

.:xXxXx:.

As Percy and Nico got off the elevator that led up to the third floor, they looked around at the mass of people.

"Do you know what exhibit this is Percy?"

"No idea."

They trailed around the front part of the floor, when Nico suddenly gasped.

"What?!"

Nico pointed and, looking up, Percy caught sight of the far wall. It was covered with an anthology of someone's life, and from the way Nico's eyes were shining, Percy guessed it was someone he liked.

"I know what exhibit this is! I've been wanting to go for MONTHS! It's the Tim Burton exhibit!" he said excitedly.

Percy read a couple of the events listed under different years and sure enough, he quickly came across "Nightmare Before Christmas", "Edward Scissor-Hands" and a medley of other movies and art works he knew Tim Burton had worked on. Glancing at Nico again, he saw the young boy shifting slightly from one foot to another.

"What is it Nico?"

"Huh?!" Nico started slightly, looking back at Percy. "Oh, uh, I-I was just kinda thinking, considering the fact that we're supposed to be inspecting this floor anyway….uh…" he shifted again and sort of looked away. "Y-you think we could go look at the Tim Burton exhibit…? Just for a little while…"

The elder boy blinked a couple of times, then grinned.

"Course we can Nico."

Grabbing a surprised Nico by the hand, he dragged him through the throng of people up to the entrance. Flashing their tickets, he pulled Nico into the hallway leading to the exhibit.

The hall was painted with black and white stripes, which was sort of disorienting, with flat screen TV's along one wall. A lot of people stood against the other wall, watching the TV's and the two half-bloods paused to do so too.

"Stainboy." Nico supplied instantly. "Old cartoon of Burton's that never really caught on."

"Why not?"

Percy jolted as Stainboy's classmates were shown. One of them had nails through his eyes, and another girl had her mouth sewn shut.

"Questionable content."

They continued down the hall, into a dark area where there was a grotesque neon sculpture of a merry-go-round, Tim Burton style.

Nico walked over to looking at it, watching it turn slightly with a small smile on his face. Percy joined him, inspecting the picture beside it, which was a sketch of the merry-go-round that was in the case.

"Tim Burton sure liked to create crazy things, huh?" he muttered to his younger companion.

"Well, he certainly had a strange imagination."

As they progressed deeper into the exhibit, they continued to keep themselves on the lookout for anything that could hide the ledger. There was a huge wrought iron sculpture that Nico took a full ten minutes looking at, not that Percy minded. Percy hadn't grown up with legitimate siblings (Tyson was much more like a best friend, in a way), but he guessed that if he had, this is what hanging out with them would be like.

Well, not the whole quest part, no. The part where he just couldn't help smiling at the happiness shining in Nico's eyes as he looked at every detail of Tim Burton's work. It wasn't necessarily Percy's cup of tea, but he rarely saw Nico with much more emotion than anger or indifference, surprise sometimes, and hate, but not really ever happiness. After Bianca, he had kind of lost his will to feel joy.

"Oh Percy, come look at this, it's hilarious!"

Percy came over to Nico as per requested, not one to turn down the offer to get in on some of the joy his sort-of cousin was feeling.

He saw a picture of a man, his eyes hanging out of his head by the cords, having seemingly grown hands and tugging at a woman's clothes. He couldn't help raising a questioning eyebrow.

"There, you missed the caption."

Looking where Nico pointed, he read out the words written in Tim Burton's writing;

"Rupert undressed her with his eyes."

He paused a moment, relooking over the picture. Then he started chuckling, raising a hand to his mouth. Percy was delighted when his laughter made Nico crack a smile of his own.

"Morbid, but you're right, it's absolutely hilarious." he managed between laughing.

Nico's smile widened and he took Percy's hand.

"C'mon, the best part is through here."

They slipped from the room filled with pictures and drawings by Burton into a red room filled with might have been a movie memorabilia collector's dream. There were cases with clay figurines from Tim Burton's different animated movies that had hit it big, posters from other movies (Mars Invasion, Batman, ect.), and mannequins in costumes he had designed.

"Wow…I didn't know Tim Burton had done so many movies…" Percy mumbled.

"Well, in most of there, he had small parts. Like Edward Scissor-Hands." Nico walked over to the mannequin of said character. "He designed the costume, same with Catwoman." over to the other costume.

Percy smiled and darted over to a case.

"Oh hey, here's The Corpse Bride! Man I loved that movie, it was awesome."

"You saw it?"

Nico joined him on the other side.

"Course I did. Who can say no to undead romance?" he feigned a swoon. "Nah, it looked good and mom wanted to see it, so I said okay. I ended up adoring it though."

Nico smiled and leaned up so he could see over the case.

"And whom was your favorite?"

"The dear bride herself, duh! I thought she was pretty."

"She was a half-decayed corpse Percy."

"This coming from YOU?"

The younger half-blood stuck out his tongue.

"Alright." Percy laughed. "So who did YOU like?"

"Victor."

That made him raise an eyebrow.

"The screw-up?"

"I could sympathize, he was trying his best."

Percy said no more on the subject and instead smiled and said;

"So Mr. Expert, care to give me a tour of Tim Burton knowledge?"

Nico's eyes lit up and Percy's smile widened.

.:xXxXx:.

At around three, the group met up again as the museum started to close.

"So…" Annabeth said hopefully. "Anyone find anything?"

"Nope." Clarisse said bluntly.

"Not a thing." Percy supplied.

"Unfortunately, I was unable to find anything either."

Grover groaned as Ame finished her sentence.

"Does that mean we'll have to come back tomorrow?"

"No."

All eyes turned automatically to Ame. It was odd how easily that came to them as of recently.

"It just means that we'll have to come back tonight, after dark when it's closed."Annabeth's jaw dropped.

"You want us to break into the MoMA?"

"Yes." and when she looked ready to protest, Ame said; "You have a better plan?"

"….No."

"Exactly."

Annabeth sighed and crossed her arms, kneading her brow with on hand. All was silent for a moment before she dropped her hand and looked up again.

"Okay, fine, then we need to find a motel. We can pose as a student group, or just friends on vacation."

"Permission from parents/teachers?"

Clarisse, and oddly tactical thinker.

"We'll have them call Chiron, I'll fill him in on the way. Thank the gods camp's got a landline."

Ame nodded.

"Very well. Let's get going."

Everyone started walking, not keeping as tightly together as they could, but not really spreading out either. Percy hung back slightly, to walk beside Ame.

"Hey, Ame?"

"Yes Percy?"

He looked over at the younger girl, who eyed with a calm and quizzical air.

"Thanks."

"Whatever for?"

He quirked a half-smile.

"You didn't send us to the third floor by accident." his eyes twinkled. "You knew Nico would want to see the Tim Burton exhibit."

Ame smirked softly, and for a second, it looked more like a smile.

"Really Percy, what ARE you talking about?"

But the way she said it, and the wink she sent him told Percy that she knew EXACTLY what he was talking about.

.:xXxXx:.

The streets were desolate and empty at this hour of night, at least along this strip. The five teenagers, one satyr stood in front of the MoMA, staring into the glass doors.

"So." Grover said. "Anyone actually think of a way to get in?"

Shaking heads all around.

"Damnit."

"Indeed."

"Well." Clarisse shrugged. "Looks like we'll have to come back tomorrow after all…."

"No, no give me a minute."

Clarisse turned, surprised, to Nico. The young Hades boy was crouched down on the ground, fingers tips pressed to the concrete, eyes closed. He was muttering to himself, brow furrowed in concentration.

"Y-yes. Yes, I can do it, this will work."

Everyone stared at him.

"What?" asked Annabeth. "What will work?"

"I can get in."

Clarisse raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, so you can suddenly teleport or something, huh?"

"Something like that."

The Ares child looked shocked and was about to say something when Nico's eyes snapped open and he darted forward. Within a second, his black clad form had shimmered once, then slipped in the shadows.

"Wha-"

"Just wait."

All eyes but Ame's turned to Percy.

"He'll let us in as soon as he takes care of the security."

Five minutes when by, then the gate on the inside slowly raised. They watched as, once more from the shadows, Nico emerged on the other side of the glass. He unlocked one of the doors and held it open.

"C'mon in."

The group quickly entered, but Ame paused. Turning, she made the Greek equivalent of a cross on her chest and murmured something into the sky. Nothing happened, then suddenly all the streetlamps flickered at once, then by twos before turning back on.

"Thank you." she muttered before turning and walking briskly inside.

"What was that?" Percy questioned.

"Nix and Demeter. They've agreed to make the night so dark you won't be able to tell if this place is unlocked or not. And Demeter is going to make a "foul wind" per say, come from either end of the street so no one has the urge to come down this way."

Percy blinked, then grinned.

"Gotta say, always nice to have someone in the God's good graces with us."

Ame smirked in return, and then she was all business again.

"I figure we've got about five hours to find the ledger, give or take an hour. We know everywhere it's definitely NOT, so check where it MIGHT be." she looked at the group. "We're in agreement that it's not in the garden?"

"Yup."

"Good, then let's move, split up again, but into two groups this time. Nico, Percy, with me, you three, together."Annabeth nodded.

"Does it matter where we go?"

"No."

"Okay, keep in touch, we've got your numbers."

Everyone nodded to each other one last time before taking off in their groups. No one was any more sure what they were looking for than they had been that morning, but now they knew that they had a time limit. Five hours, give or take, were all they had and the ledger was on the line here. Coming back tomorrow or the next night would be too dangerous. It was now or never.

Ame darted to the stairs, the boys right on her heels before glancing back at them.

"Stay here or second floor?"

"Second floor."

She nodded and started up the stairs at a pace that Percy was pretty sure no human could match. Luckily, it didn't seem she intended them to because she paused at the top for them to catch up. As soon as they had she pointed over her shoulder with her thumb.

"That way has more sculptures, places to hide things. That direction," she pointed down the hall behind the boys. "Has got more paintings, which, in theory, could also be the ledger, for all we know."

Percy bit his lip.

"Alright, I hate to split us up, but to conserve our time, I'll go take a look at the paintings, you two-"

There was suddenly a loud creaking noise and all three froze.

Ame turned on her heel and took a step back so she was in line with her two companions, staring down the hall where the sound had come from.

"On second thought Percy, it might be best if we all went the same way." she murmured, and there was worry in her voice.

"I couldn't agree more."

They started walking backwards towards the painting's hall, none of them willing to turn their backs on the place where the creak had come from. They didn't know why they had such a foreboding feel about the place, but there was something…

Another loud creak, like joints that had never been oiled suddenly starting to move. Ame paused for a moment, then grabbed each of the boy's hands.

"When I say so, run into the painting hall okay?"

"Why?"

"Call it a hunch."

Another creak came, shortly followed by a stomping sound, much closer this time.

"Run."

All three teens turned and ran as fast they could into the other wing of the floor, curving left into the maze of paintings and photos. Percy made sure Nico and Ame were both constantly in his sight, refusing to let either fall behind him. It wasn't just that he was older, the God's had trusted him with Ame, and Hades had (sort of) trusted him with Nico. He would never let them down willingly.

Ame came to a screeching halt in front of one of the paintings, turning to look where they had come. Nico and Percy did the same, standing close to the younger girl almost protectively.

All was silent for a long moment, and it felt like hours to the three companions. If there had been a clock in the room the seconds that ticked by would have rocked in their heads it was so quiet. You could hear their breathing, all quiet and steady, trying to keep calm in the impending situation.

After a full five minutes, Percy said,

"I don't think…."

Then suddenly there was a horrible screeching sound from close by.

"Okay, that was REALLY FUCKING CLOSE." Percy yelled, snapping out Riptide from his pocket and uncapping it.

Ame slipped into a defensive position and Nico reached into his pocket. He pulled out a pocketknife and flicked it open, and in seconds, it extended into his sword, glowing that eerie light in the darkness.

There was a sound like something smashing down on the floor, followed by another creaking, then another smash, then another creak, on and on until suddenly it stopped. The three teens all held their breath, not wanting to alert anything to their presence.

Then, out of nowhere, something leapt around the corner and slammed down in front of them. Percy jumped back, making Ame and Nico do the same and they looked up at what was attacking them.

"…That's a giant metal spider."

"It's from one of the exhibits."

Neither boy questioned how she knew that.

"Why is an exhibit alive…?" Nico asked slowly.

"No idea…"

The thing scuttled forward.

"What does it want…?" Percy followed up.

There were the tapping of feet, and suddenly mannequins appeared around the spider's feet, all women, dressed in weird Victorian-inspired dresses and hats, all bearing bloody knives or guns or some kind of weapon.

"Fake blood." Ame supplied quickly. "Women's Murder exhibit. And to answer your question, I think they want to kill us."

"REALLY?"

"Really."

"Oh my."

The head mannequin, an almost bald woman with a tall top hat and a ripped lace and red velvet dress, bearing a pair of butcher's cleavers growled.

"Uh….CUE TO RUN."

.:xXxXx:.

Clarisse dodged a porcelain pear that then shattered against the wall, ducking behind a large bronze statue. She cursed under her breath in Greek, gripping her electric spear tighter.

Everything had been fine one moment, then suddenly all the statues were coming to life and she was being attacked! Now war was what Clarisse lived for, art wasn't, but SERIOUSLY? She was being attacked by a statue bearing a basket of FRUIT.

AND THE STATUE WAS WINNING.

Ducking again, Clarisse ran out of the exhibit, and for a minute thought she was safe. Of course, the statues obviously had no limitations within the museum, as they quickly followed her.

"Oh DAMNIT ALL."

The Ares girl let loose a bolt of lightning from her spear, shattering a nearby statuette. Running down the hall, she gritted her teeth and tried to recall the layout of the first floor.

*Gah, damnit, I need to get to Annabeth and Grover!* she thought desperately.

If she was going to survive this, she needed help, and more importantly so did her comrades.

*Okay, uh, Annabeth, she would go….* the girl worried her lip. *She'd go to the intellectual exhibits, by nature, and those are….THERE!*

Clarisse darted without thinking, sending another bolt of lightning behind her, running towards the exhibit.

"You better be okay brain girl!" she growled to herself.

.:xXxXx:.

Percy gritted his teeth, backing up more. In retrospect, this was a stupid idea and he hadn't been thinking. But then again, this was the kid with ADHD, it wasn't totally his fault. His instincts had just sort of taken over FOR him.

Of course, that didn't stop there being a giant spider and two mannequins trying to kill him. It just made it make sense. Sort of.

Allow me to relate to you the last five minutes of Percy Jackson's life.

After starting to run with his two companions, they made their way towards the other side of the floor, hoping to get away. Unfortunately, the exhibits seemed to be a lot smarter than they had reckoned, because there was another six murderous women waiting for them in the hall.

Cornered, they considered fighting their way out, but quickly decided that was a bad option. There were just too damn many of them to handle. And so, Percy decided to do something stupid.

With a single yell of "SPLIT!" he darted to the right, tackling one of the mannequins and confusing more of them. His plan was a basic success, as they were all stunned long enough for Ame to grab Nico and run. Of course, that left him to fight for his life, and the unstunned mannequins to follow.

And that about sums up to the current moment.

As Percy ducked and rolled to one side, he thought to himself;

*Gods I hope you two are okay…*

He raised his sword to block a blow.

*This isn't how we're going down damnit!*

.:xXxXx:.

Ame swallowed and leaned back against the wall, breathing shallow and slow. Nico was barely an inch from her, their shoulders nearly touching, acting in much the same way. They were pressed up against the wall, neither so much as twitching. Ame's eyes were fixed on the hallway they had come from, never leaving the corner. Her ears strained for some kind of sound, any kind of sound, that would tell her where their enemies were. But all was silent and nothing was moving, and that was bad.

Nico had led her down here, and it was a good plan, until they realized just how outnumbered they were. Percy had practically sacrificed himself, and they still didn't know where he was, and so they were just two people against a small army of art.

"I'm going to check it anything is out there."

The girl's head snapped to Nico.

"WHAT?" she hissed in shock.

"Well do YOU hear anything?" he muttered. "They could have lost us, then we could run."

"Or they could be tricking us. They're STATUES, they stand still all damn day."

Nico wasn't listening though, and started forward.

Ame gritted her teeth, but didn't stop him.

He crept forward still he was in front of Ame. Slowly, Nico walked towards the hall, pausing right before the corner. He peeked around, then took a step out.

"SHI-"

Ame grabbed him just in time, fingers wrapping around the collar of his black coat and dragging him backwards. One arm around his shoulders, she held him in place, slumped back against the wall, him, almost collapsed on his knees.

Their eyes stared at the knife that had come within inches of his head, wide eyed and fearful.

"What ho! En guard there you dastardly ladies!"

Both teens blinked, then their jaws dropped.

---

**A/N:** I'm SO FUCKING SORRY for the wait! School and tests and stuff and.....GYAAAAAAAAAGH. I'M SORRY!

But here's an extra long chapter to make up for it!

The Tim Burton exhibit is real, I've seen it (it was wonderfullllllll), but the others I made up. Yeah, sorry, I know I wasn't too original about it.

Uh, well, bit of Nico/Ame interaction in there, fuckin' finally.

What else.... I'm concentrating on a manga right now, but I'm still going to write chapter 10 and 11 becasuse I have them both in mind. After that I might take a break, depending on whether I get an idea or not.

Well, five days till the contest is over and ten till my brithday!

I LOVE YOU ALL. THIS CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO DrCerealKiller(on dA) Cause she's fuckin' awesome.


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten:** Tim Burton saves the day

_Ame grabbed him just in time, fingers wrapping around the collar of his black coat and dragging him backwards. One arm around his shoulders, she held him in place, slumped back against the wall, him, almost collapsed on his knees._

_Their eyes stared at the knife that had come within inches of his head, wide eyed and fearful._

"_What ho! En guard there you dastardly ladies!"_

_Both teens blinked, then their jaws dropped._

"…….."

"Ame, is that….Victor from the Corpse Bride?"

"…Yes."

No, they had not, in the past minute that you my fine readers had not seen them, inexplicably gotten high off of Acid or something to that nature. No, though the idea of Ame on Acid is hilarious(1), they weren't at all hallucinating.

Victor Van Dort, in all of his nine inch tall glory, stood at the other side of the corner, in the opposite direction of which they had come. He was glaring, a tiny (about four inch) sword held in one clay hand. Behind him stood the skeleton musicians, all bearing some kind of bone-related weapon, from clubs to sharpened femurs.

Nico sank fully to his knees as Ame released him, dark eyes wide and wondering. Ame remained where she was, staring at the little statues.

"Haven't they all be trying to kill us?" she asked.

"Well, yeah, but…"

Victor turned his head and smiled.

"Hello there half-blood, Ms. Kitsune, sit tight, we'll have you out of here in a jiffy!"

Apart from the fact that he was wondering who said "jiffy" anymore, Nico was in complete wonderment. Here was his favorite character from one of his favorite movies, protecting him from killer mannequins. Well, maybe it was more the getting to see live action Tim Burton that was amazing him.

Once the mannequins had gotten over the initial shock though, it seemed they didn't find the statuettes all that threatening and started advancing again. Out of nowhere, there was a snapping sound, and a quick flash of black, then one of the mannequins was without a head.

"My my, preying on small children, how mean of you."

Someone stepped out of the shadows, a whip gripped in her hands.

Ame's eyebrows shot up.

"We're being defended by Cat Woman."

"Yes, yes we are."

Nico and Ame exchanged a look. What the HELL was going on NOW?

Cat Woman positioned herself directly in front of the entrance to the small passage where Ame and Nico hid, enough room behind and in front of her for a quick escape. The skeletons advanced at her feet, bearing their weapons.

"Victor, take those two to safety, we got this."

Victor nodded his little head, then looked at the pair.

"Quickly, Cat Woman can only hold off so many of them at a time!"

They didn't need another motivator, Nico rising and Ame moving quickly, darting out from behind Cat Woman and following the clay sculpture down the hall.

Victor lead them through a back route towards the stairs, pausing for them to catch up. For a construct of clay and wire, Victor moved really fast, and this wasn't the first time in their run they had nearly lost him. It was amazing just how many twists and turns there were in the MoMA, when on needed to run somewhere. There certainly weren't that many during the day.

Victor started up the stairs and the two teens followed him, a pretty good idea of where he was taking them. Mentally, Ame tried to figure out where they were and where they would come out from this staircase.

They had started on the first floor, then risen to the second, and gone to the east wing with the paintings. They had run east afterward, then north, then east again, Percy had been separated…. Ame lost count of where they had gone after that, all of it a blur of colors and fighting in her mind. All she knew was that this led to the third floor, and that meant the Tim Burton exhibit.

And so far, the Tim Burton exhibit seemed to be on their side, so if there was anywhere she wanted to go, it was there.

Ame glanced at Nico, who was ahead of her and jolted.

"Nico!"

The male paused, then gasped when Ame grabbed his arm.

"You're hurt…"

Nico blinked and raised a hand to his cheek, and sure enough, there was blood.

*The knife must have hit me…* he thought.

"I-it doesn't hurt." he said quickly, as Ame inspected the cut. "Really."

"Damnit, I'm sorry." Ame seemed not to have heard him. "If I had pulled you back sooner…"

"No, I'm the idiot, I should have stayed back like you said."

Their eyes locked and neither teen looked away for a long minute.

From the foot of the stairs, there was a screeching sound not unlike a banshee. The pair's heads snapped around and they cursed. At the bottom of the stairs stood three of the murderous mannequins, knives and broken bottles in hand.

"Oh drat! They moved faster than I thought!" Victor mumbled.

The mannequins advanced, and Nico reached slowly into his pocket for the sword he had sheathed when they were hiding. But once more, the Fates decided to give them a break and send some help.

Something grabbed mannequin in the back with what seemed to be some kind of weapon made of blades. The mannequin screeched, then was suddenly headless. The other two turned to look at their fallen sister, until they too met a similar fate by the same weapon.

"Knives?" Ame murmured in confusion.

"No…" Nico whispered. "SCISSORS."

From the shadows stepped a figure dressed in black, with the most peculiar hands ever known to man.

"Victor, you should have been a little more careful."

Victor laughed.

"Why, when you're coming to our rescue Edward?"

Edward Scissor-Hands just shook his head with a sigh. He walked forward, stepping over the fallen mannequins and up the stairs, stopping a step below Ame and Nico.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance." he said with a smile and a small bow. "Now's not the time for introductions, but I do say that you're hurt young man, so let's get you to the exhibit, hm?"

Nico and Ame just nodded mutely.

"Well, c'mon!" Victor waved an arm. "Let's go!"

The quartet made their way quickly up the stairs, until after about two and a half flights, Victor stopped. Edward quietly murmured "excuse me" and slipped between them to the top of the stairs, which seemed to cut off at the ceiling. Raising his scissor hands, he pressed up until he seemed to have found something. Pushing harder, the ceiling suddenly gave way and opened up.

He went up first, opening the trapdoor and holding it for the last three. Victor darted up next and Ame and Nico followed shortly afterwards. They blinked and stared around as soon as they entered. It looked like a war camp, a war camp of very odd soldiers that was of course. Statues and mannequins conversed with serious looks on their faces, paintings darted from one frame to another, delivering messages, and weapons were being forged. It was the oddest sight either Ame or Nico had ever seen.

"As you can see, we were expecting the need to protect you guys."

Ame turned to look at Edward, who had closed the trapdoor behind them. Once he stood, a bunch of little statuettes pushed a display cabinet over top of it.

"Come, let's go get Nico's arm taken care of."

He led them through the exhibit to the back, where he himself had stood with the Cat Woman mannequin earlier in the day. Victor followed at their feet, being able to keep up with their steps oddly easily.

They stopped at the raised stage where Edward and Cat Woman had been, which now looked something like a small medic area. The rest of the Corpse Bride cast were bustling about fixing things up, pulling out bandages, counting bottles of antiseptic.

"Not to be rude, but where's…?"

"The others?" Victor smiled at Ame. "The Nightmare Before Christmas statues are much better at fighting than us, they went off to help your other friend, the one with the sword Riptide."

Inwardly, both sighed with absolute relief.

*Thank the Gods…*

Nico sat down upon Ame's instruction, pulling off his coat and laying it to the side, then turning his head to one side to make cleaning the cut easier for Ame.

"Here,"

Nico glanced down to see Victoria Everglot, Victor's living fiancé, handing Ame a roll of bandage.

"Bride will bring you the antiseptic, just a moment."

Almost on cue, the corpse bride tapped over with a pocket sized bottle of hydrogen peroxide.

"Thank you." the kitsune said with a small incline of her head.

She pushed up her sleeves a bit and uncapped the peroxide, reaching for a cloth that had been left out for her.

"So," she began. "Care to tell us why the whole museum is trying to kill us?"

Victor sat on the edge of the stage, but Edward remained standing.

"Well, how do I say this? Have you ever noticed that no one ever really breaks into the MoMA?"

Nico nodded, then winced as peroxide was poured onto his cut.

"Ouch. Yeah, I, ah, noticed."

"It's because, a long time ago, when the…uh…Son, Daughter? I don't recall, anyway, the child of Athena who made this museum built it, they put a small…enchantment, on it. The art comes to life every now and again."

Ame raised an eyebrow as she patted at Nico's cut with the cloth.

"Every now and again…?"

"In times of danger, or distress."

Ame nodded her head, swiping across the cut again and murmuring an apology as Nico winced.

"So the others are just defending their museum, regardless of whom we are?"

"Yes."

Nico tilted his head towards the display light so Ame could better see what she was doing with his injury.

"So then, why're you helping us?"

Ame laid a bandage over the gash and reached back for the medical tape. Victor rose and pushed the tape into her hands.

"Thank you Victor."

"No problem."

The young girl ripped the tape with her teeth, taping down the bandage, then ripping off another piece and doing the other side.

"There Nico, is that too tight?"

"No, no it's perfect. Thanks."

Ame nodded and sat back, looking over at Victor.

"You never answered why you were helping us." she said.

"Oh, I thought you knew."

Ame raised an eyebrow and Nico looked at him in confusion.

"What??? Didn't you know???"

"Know…what?"

From beside him, there was a giggle, and looking down, Nico found the corpse bride, smiling up at him.

"Silly, Tim is a son of Athena."

….

Utter silence.

"He IS?!"

"Yup."

Nico was gaping, and even Ame looked a bit shocked.

"Well, duh, no normal human could have this weird of a mind, you know? And he loves to create." Victor winked. "Not all Athena's children are JUST architects, creation is their favorite thing, she's birthed quite a few artists."

Ame exchanged a look with Nico.

"By the way, why are you all here?"Both teens blinked and looked over at Victoria, who was rolling up the bandages.

"We know you're half-bloods, so that makes you friends, but why are you breaking into the MoMA so late on a weeknight?"

Another look was exchanged between the two teens, contemplating whether they should tell them or not. Nico shrugged, as if to say "Well who would they tell?" and Ame nodded.

"We're after something to help us in a quest, a ledger. According to Athena, it's here." she said finally.

"A ledger…?"

Edwards's eyes widened.

"You're not after the Star Ledger are you?!"

"That'd be it, yeah."

Edward seemed very frazzled all of a sudden.

"Edward?" Ame asked, reaching out a hand to him and laying it on his forearm. "I'm sorry, did I upset you?"

"N-no, uhm, well, my goodness…."

"We know where it is."

Nico looked at Bride, who was still standing beside him.

"But you'll never get it."

"Why?" he asked. "Is it protected or something?"

"Not really, no more than the rest of the museum. But there's always this dark aura around it…and the place where it is is locked by multiple locks. You couldn't get in."

Out of nowhere, there was a dark sounding chuckle.

Nico's head snapped around to face Ame, whom was now smirking devilishly.

"Don't worry Ms. Bride, I know how to get it."

She looked up at Edward, then down at Victor.

"Would you men be so kind as to lead us to the ledger? We'd like some guards with us if that's alright with you."

---

**A/N: **

DOUBLE DIGITS! YEEEEEEEEAH!

Oh, look, a whole chapter of just Ame and Nico.....how nice....

1- That is a very inside joke involving myself, Kitty, and way too much crack yaoi.

Yup, so, Nico and Ame seem to be getting closer. And Ame INEXPLICABLY KNOWS ALL. Cause she's just that coolio.


	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven:** Tim Burton continues to save everyone's life

Edward clicked his scissors together nervously, shifting from one foot to another.

"Are you SURE you want to go after the ledger…? I mean, there has to be…I dunno, something else?"

"You know there isn't." Edward looked down at Victor, who had laid a hand on his pant's leg.

"But Victor…" the mannequin looked over at the two teens on the stage. "They're just kids…"

Victor nodded solemnly.

"They are. But they're not normal kids Ed. Remember a few years ago? That monster that tried to kill Tim in Nebraska?"

Edward shuddered and nodded.

"Thank the gods we woke up when we did."

As a son of Athena, Tim Burton was often in danger of being killed by monsters. His "art" (automatons by nature, given even more life by the spell on the MoMA) tended to jump to his rescue whenever need be. So Victor and Edward were no strangers to the evils that lay in wait for the youths that were now preparing themselves.

"These kids fight like that to survive, Ed. This quest, it means life or death for them. We HAVE to help them." Victor was pleading with his clay eyes. "This is something we just have to do. Tim would be so disappointed in us if we didn't."

Edward looked down at his small companion.

He was only an automaton disguised as a mannequin, a machine who had been given free thought by his master. And yet he felt as though, in some deep part of him, he had a heart, had a soul, had feelings of his own. These feelings were tainted by the emotions placed on him by the character he played, and yet it had twisted itself to be truly him, in his own way.

Edward wasn't Edward Scissor-Hands, he was just Edward, the automaton boy. And he was okay with that, because that was how Tim liked him, that was how the others liked him. Edward Scissor-Hands had always been alone and found it hard to find friendship. But Edward Scissor-Hand's friends weren't other automatons, unable to die, unable to truly live either. And he didn't have someone like Tim.

Edward let out an unnecessary, shaky breath.

"Alright. I'll go clear the way to the stairs, you make sure they're ready."

"Okay Edward." Victor smiled and tugged once on Edward's pant's leg before dashing off across the floor to the two teenagers.

Collecting himself, Edward straightened his back, even though it was straight as a ruler. He strode over to the exit of the exhibit and snapped open all the scissors on his hands.

*Look out, here I come.*

.:xXxXx:.

"Ame! Ame!"

Ame looked up, then down as Victor Van Dort came to a screeching halt at her feet.

"Edward's clearing the way," the little clay and wire man said. "We gotta get going, NOW."

Neither teen argued, Nico slinging his coat around his hips and flicking out his sword, Ame rising to her feet. She leaned down and picked up Victor gently as she could, putting him on Nico's shoulder.

Both males looked at her questioningly and she rolled her eyes.

"Victor's legs aren't as long as ours, he'll get left behind unless someone carries him."

There was an unsaid "And YOU Nico diAngelo, KNOW you want to be the one who has Tim Burton's automation on your shoulder" hung in the air between the teens and Nico flushed.

"O-okay, let's go then."

The half-blood and the kitsune made their way quickly through the exhibit, accepting all the "Good luck's!" and "You can do it's!" that came their way. Nico could feel his heart rate speeding up as they reached the exit, Stainboy and his classmates watching them from inside their TV's. Victor saluted the cartoons and they waved back as Ame and Nico stepped out into the hallway of the MoMA.

It was eerily quiet, not a sound from anywhere or anything. Nico didn't voice his sudden fear that he couldn't hear Percy or any of the others, though it was mounting higher and higher. A small hand gripped his shoulder, and looking over, his eyes caught the clay ones of Victor. The little sculpture nodded bravely.

"Forward."

Nico swallowed and nodded.

"Alright."

They walked slowly down the hall, as if the very shadows would peel off of the wall and jump out at them at any given second. The tension that hung in the air could have been cut with a knife and made into sandwich meat. It felt as if the young half-blood boy's chest was constricting the farther he walked into the museum's darkness.

Up ahead, something moved, and both teenagers froze. In the same movement, they slipped into defensive positions, eyes hardening.

"It's me."

Victor grinned.

"Edward!"

Edward Scissor-Hands walked out of the shadows into their line of vision, raising a hand in greeting.

"Hey. Path down to the second floor is clear, I'm gonna head down to the first ahead of you all and make sure you won't have any problems."

He looked at Victor.

"The secret path is best, I'll be clearing that out."

No one commented on the mannequin's sudden surge of courage.

Ame nodded to Edward.

"Very well. We're putting our trust in you."

Edward quirked a smile and turned around, darting away into the shadows once more. Ame turned to Nico and Victor.

"Well? Lead the way Victor."

.:xXxXx:.

The halls all seemed longer as the pair (triad if you counted Victor) trekked towards their unknown destination. Every sound was magnified tenfold, every movement tens of times more cautious, eyes darting from place to place, looking for an unseen enemy.

But Edward was doing his job. They met with not a single enemy on their way down from the third floor, being led by Victor. Then again, they did not meet a single friend either.

Ame was very quiet, not only in voice but in action. Her feet barely made a sound as they moved, falling softly, gently, as if walking on ice only centimeters thick. Her breathing was barely there, and had the bangs in front of her eyes not moved every so often as she took in or let out air, Nico would have thought she wasn't breathing at all.

The way she slunk from shadow to shadow was almost disturbing, the ease with which she did it startling. Nico was professed to be the best at shadowy movements and darkness, but Ame beat him outright no questions asked.

Ame paused suddenly and Nico stopped beside her.

"Ame?"

"…"

The younger teen looked up at the ceiling.

"I suggest we move faster." she murmured.

"Why?"Ame dropped her eyes to Nico and he was once more caught in their intensity.

"Edward is clearing the path ahead of us, but the path behind us is open game. They're going to catch up eventually and I, personally, would prefer not to have that happen."

Nico didn't need telling twice, and neither did Victor. They moved faster than before, darting down halls and through staircases one after another. The pair trusted simply to the fact that Edward had come before them and that thanks to him, the path ahead of them would be clear enough.

.:xXxXx:.

It was what felt like a millennium later that they ever reached their destination. After countless stairways both up and down, through exhibits that were now so old they were unrecognizable, and quite possibly (Nico suspected) through the walls, they had arrived.

The door was so plain, it proved just how well "hiding in plain sight" really worked. There wasn't even a "Keep Out" or "Authorized Personnel Only" on it. Just a faded red and white "Exit" sticker curling at the corners.

"….Not that I don't trust your judgment Victor, but are you SURE this is it?"

"A hundred percent positive. I've been down there with Tim before."

Neither of the two teenagers questioned Victor's directions further.

Ame stepped forward to open the door, but Nico intercepted her and did it first, turning the aluminum knob and pushing the gray door open. Despite the aged look, the hinges didn't creak, did even make a sound as they rotated so the door would open. On the other side of the door, they were met by pure darkness, disguising whatever lay beyond effectively.

Nico raised his sword and held it out in front of him, he looked over his shoulder at Ame, then took a step forward. Two more steps and he was over the threshold and inside the…well, room, hall, whatever it was.

"Alright, c'mon."

Ame stepped in behind him, and suddenly there was a click.

Lights flickered on around them, revealing another hallway, long, white and unmarred by time or space. Simply a hall, without color, personality or feeling. No side doors, no side windows, no nothing that could possibly jump out and eat them. At the end of the hall, there was a pair of elevator doors, also white, also emotionless.

Just a hall.

Above them, from gods only knew where, an automated, megaphone voice, female, asked;

"Name?"

Nico blinked, then looked over his shoulder at Ame. Ame too, looked nonplussed, eyes slightly wider than usual and blinking in confusion.

"Name?" the voice repeated.

Exchanging another look, Nico glanced at the ceiling and said to the hall at large.

"Uh…Nico diAngelo…?"

"And your companion?"

Ame's eyes flicked suspiciously up, then;

"Ame Kurotsuki."

"Heritage?"

Well, there was no question what they meant there.

"Son of Hades." Nico said without hesitation, hint of pride in his voice.

Ame did not miss how his free hand darted to the ring on his index finger when he spoke.

"Kitsune." she supplied calmly. "Last."

There was a dinging sound.

"You may enter."

The elevator doors slid open invitingly, inside bathed with soft yellow light.

Once more, the two teenagers exchanged a glance.

"Forward?" Nico murmured and Ame nodded her agreement.

"Forward."

They started walking, Ame still behind Nico (only because he would speed up every time she tried to), feet suddenly unnaturally loud in the hall. They reached the elevator in little to no time and were about to step inside, when the voice echoed again;

"Only the God's children may enter."

Nico's hand darted protectively to Victor on his shoulder.

"He's our guide." he said defensively.

"Only the God's children may enter." the voice reiterated.

"But he's helping us!"

"Only the God's children may enter."

"HEY."

Nico spun around to look at Ame with wide eyes. The younger girl was glaring up at the ceiling.

"I don't know what God or Goddess made you, but I don't particularly CARE. You're going to let Victor come with us, or I will smash this fucking wall, find you, and break every circuit in your body. And trust me, your little creator will do jack squat to help you on this one."

There was a long silence, then;

"Enter."

Ame smirked.

"Why thank you."

She stepped nonchalantly into the elevator, and Nico followed her, hand still resting protectively on Victor. There was another ding and the elevator doors began to close (slowly, the way all elevators do (isn't it annoying?)).

As they slid shut, the door they had originally come through slammed shut, and the hall was entirely white, before the doors clamped shut and the elevator started going down.

.:xXxXx:.

"HERMES I COULD SMACK YOU."

Hermes looked innocently at the blonde woman talking to him as he dropped another package into the back of his postal carrier's truck.

"Whatever do you mean Athena dearest?"

Her silver eyes flashed and Hermes winced. He'd been on the receiving end of her wrath before. It hadn't ended well.

"What's the big idea telling them that the MoMA has "it's own guard dogs" and not telling them not to go back at night?"

"Why didn't YOU tell them?"Athena glared.

"We're each only allowed to tell certain people so much, you know that." she flipped her hair over her shoulder.

"I told Annabeth where the ledger was. I can't interfere for a while longer."

Hermes conceded, that was true.

"You however, only drove them there, you didn't do anything to HELP them…" she eyed him suspiciously. "What have you got up your sleeve?"

Hermes adopted the innocent look once more."Absolutely nothing."Athena's suspicious glare intensified.

"…You're always like this you know?"

Hermes looked up in surprise.

"You always hold out on your favorites, wait till the perfect moment, then hit them with something they weren't expecting. Why? Why don't you ever just help?"

At this, Hermes smirked widely.

"Remember Athena, while I am the God's messenger, I am also the trickster."

.:xXxXx:.

Muzak played unnervingly in the elevator, making Nico jumpy. He hated when the God's did stuff like this, tried to make something seem normal even in the most ludicrous of situations. They were descending into the pits of the MoMA (which was Gods knew where and how deep) to try to find the Ledger of the Stars, when they didn't even know what it looked like.

Maybe the theme music of JAWS or Dracula could fit this situation, but a bad remake of Smooth Criminal was so not doing it for him.

Nico leaned back against the wall, resting his hands on either side of him on the banister (why they put those in elevators, he had no idea). Victor was kicking his legs slightly, little clay feet bouncing on Nico's collar bone every time he did. The little statuette was looking increasingly nervous as the elevator took them lower and lower.

"What's wrong Victor?" Nico asked gently.

Victor looked up at him and then down at his knees.

"I shouldn't be here. Edward isn't down there either, he must have swerved off once he knew the path was clear. …This is a place only for half-bloods, not automatons."

Nico didn't say it, but he had been having the same feeling. As much as he appreciated Ame's getting Victor allowed down with them, he had never known the Gods to be too pleased when someone broke a rule. And Ame may be the last kitsune, but he was a Son of Hades. Technically, he wasn't supposed to be alive in the first place. He was pretty sure no one would have an issue killing him.

"Quit worrying, you're as bad as you were in the movie."

Both Victor and Nico blinked, looking over at Ame in confusion.

Ame had crossed her arms and was leaning back against the wall, staring coolly at the doors of the elevator. Her eyes were as black as ever, but they were swimming with apprehension and her forefinger tapped against her arm.

"By all technical standards, you're Tim Burton's children." she said calmly.

"We are?"

Ame nodded, sparing Victor a sideways glance.

"He makes you, raises you, hell, I think he spends the most time with you guys out of everyone he knows or cares about. That counts as his children in my book."

If he had been able to, Nico was pretty sure Victor would have been blushing.

_DING._

Nico jumped as the elevator (finally) came to halt.

"Whoa-!" Victor squeaked as he almost toppled off of Nico's shoulder.

The Hades half-blood caught him though and hurriedly apologized for nearly knocking him down.

"No problem, little bit of warning for fast movements though."

Ame snapped her fingers and both boys shut up.

In front of them was a much shorter hallway, basement gray this time, and a black door. Her eyes were fixed on the door as though it would lead her to the answer to the universe and beyond, whole body humming now with anticipation. Her hand rose to her right wrist, fingers brushing over something once before dropping back to her side.

Nico noticed for the first time, a bracelet, in the form of a black dragon, wings folded against its back, snakelike body curled around her wrist, front feet gripping its own tail. The eyes were closed, but for a second, Nico swore he saw them open, flashing gold, but then they were closed again and he just blinked the image away. It must have been a trick of the light.

"Do you feel that?"

Nico looked at the door, eyes fixing on it just like Ame's were. For a second, nothing happened, then, out of the blue, a cold feel of pure hate radiated out from the door and hit him square in the chest. He almost choked on his breath, taking a step back.

Ame grabbed his arm.

"Don't." she said. "It's like a skunk, utterly harmless, just baring its fangs."Looking over at the kitsune, he saw the now familiar smirk on her face had returned.

"Trust me Nico." her eyes turned to him, and for once, they held a comforting warmth. "I wouldn't lead you into danger."

Nico had never needed that assurance from her, but it was accepted regardless. He knew, deep in his heart, that no matter what it looked like, Ame would always be on his side if no one else's, and it felt good. She was a powerful force.

"Now come on." Ame said, voice bringing Nico back to the present. "Let's go in."

"In?" Victor asked. "Are you mad?"

"You led us down here…" Nico pointed out.

"I didn't think you'd actually go IN!"

Ame and Nico exchanged a glance. Ame was about to speak when there was a loud bang and the elevator shook.

"Out." Ame said quickly. "Out, GET OUT!"

Thankfully, Nico took her words to heart and darted out, because a second later the doors slammed shut and the elevator rose up at a much faster rate than it had gone down.

"Oh….that's not good…."

"No, it's not."

At once, the two teens turned and darted to the black door, pushing at it. Nico grabbed the handle and jiggled it, but to no avail, the door was locked.

"DAMNIT!" he hissed.

"Wait, let me!"

Victor scampered down Nico's arm and onto the handle. Wrapping his spindly legs around the door knob, he swung over upside down and reached into the lock, fiddling with it.

"Hurry Victor." Ame murmured, looking back at the elevator. "They're coming!"

Sure enough, from above them, the sounds of the elevator door slamming could be heard, then the whirring of the lowering wire.

"Victor!"

"Almoooost…"

The whirring was getting louder quicker and the two were seriously starting to worry.

"VICTOR!"

"Got it!"

The lock clicked open and neither half-blood nor kitsune wasted time in throwing open then door and bolting inside. As she dashed in, Ame snatched Victor from his perch on the doorknob, then slammed the door behind them.

Nico braced himself against the door, as though some kind of force was pushing against it. It only took Ame a millisecond to realize that something WAS pushing against the door. Nothing corporeal, but some kind of energy, as if the door didn't want to shut itself.

"Push harder!"

Nico did as she told, groaning with the effort, muscles straining. Forsaking decency in favor of survival, Ame leaned up over Nico and grabbed the locks at the top of the door, slamming them quickly into place.

"One more!" he panted. "B-bottom of the door!"

The door was really straining on its hinges now, but Ame didn't need telling twice. Sliding herself underneath Nico's form, she threw the last lock into its place with a triumphant whoop.

Both teens paused, panting, not daring to move. They listened, trying to see if there was something there, anything there, trying to get. They were met with only silence however, and slowly relaxed. Nico, suddenly realizing their positions cleared his throat.

"Uh…Ame?"

Ame blinked and looked up at him calmly.

"Yes?"

"Would you mind, uhm, moving?"

Ame blinked again and glanced at their current positions. Ame's eyes widened and a light flush lit her cheeks momentarily.

"Sorry."

She quickly got up, clearing her throat and looking away.

"Anyway." she muttered. "I say we've got about five to seven minutes until whatever was up there gets in here. Victor?"

The small statuette had taken up new residency on Ame's shoulder and he pointed.

"That way, far back, right corner."

Nico stood straight and followed the younger girl towards where Victor had directed them. He glanced around as they walked, at the room around them.

The walls were a soft cream color, not the stark white of the first hallway, and there were doors all around. The room was covered in what looked like filing cabinets, all of them looking like someone had just been in here to clean. There were your usual, tall, black filing cabinets, shorter, thinner ones, and long, low ones. Their colors ranged from tan to blue to black, not a single one over following or looking stuffed.

"What is this place…?" he questioned softly.

"This is the secret print room." Victor said. "All the art works the Gods want to keep or protect, for one reason or another, are down here."

Ame ran her fingers along a cabinet.

"There are other print rooms like this in other famous museums, the Louvre, for one." she said quietly. "The American pieces are kept here though. The historical stuffs in the Natural History Museum, but the art is here."

She paused at one of the cabinets.

"You'd be surprised." she continued. "There are things in here that some people find no value in. Artists no one's ever heard of."

She sighed.

"It's sad that they're all stuck down here…"

Victor gently touched her cheek and Ame seemed to come back to reality.

"Sorry." she muttered.

Turning back towards the back of the room, Ame started walking again, making her way through the cabinets. Nico followed without question, mind wandering slowly as he glanced from side to side at the cabinets flanking them. How many generations of forgotten treasures were down here? How many forgotten names had hidden themselves away in this small catacomb?

"There. On the wall."

Nico looked up as Victor spoke, and sure enough, on the wall was a safe. A small one, not even a foot by a foot, just barely even there. It had no lock on it, in fact it was just a plain sheet of metal, no hinges or anything.

"That's it?" Ame asked.

"Yes. But I have idea how to open it…"

Ame knelt in front of the small safe. She stared at it for a moment, her reflection staring back, thinking hard. Raising a hand, she ran her fingers along the sheet of metal. Her eyes widened and she gasped.

"Nico, stay back, I've got this." she said.

Gently, she took Victor off of her shoulder and let him rest on top of a nearby file cabinet. Reaching into one of her pockets, she pulled out a black hair tie and quickly pulled back her hart into a mini-ponytail. Cracking her knuckles once, she placed her hand on the sheet of metal and started to chant softly.

"EGO sum atrum unus

specialis quorum filiolus operor narro

Sino mihi porta ut intus

Sic malum EGO may tondeo"(1)

Nico watched in fascination as the metal glowed softly, then slowly, started to…melt. The silvery steel slid, first bead by bead down the front, then more and more, like the sped up melting of a chocolate bar. What was weird, was that the metal was just disappearing as it fell, not even hitting the ground.

Ame's hand never moved as the metal melted to nothing, and in seconds flat, it was all gone.

"What did you DO?" he muttered.

Ame just smirked.

"You'll find that there are a lot of places I can get into, with the right words."

Behind the pane of metal was another plane of metal, only there was something in the middle. A small, flat rectangle that Nico was pretty sure he had seen somewhere on Criminal Minds(2). There was a soft his and a fizzle, and suddenly a rainbow shone in front of the new metal. It took Nico a second to realize there was a square of glass there.

At the same moment, there was a smash and Nico spun around. The door was rocking in its hinges as someone, or something, beat at the other side.

"Ame…"

But the young girl wasn't paying attention. She had reached forward again and was speaking in hushed Latin (or…was it Greek?) at such a rapid pace Nico couldn't keep up. The glass seemed to be intently listening, and he realized that the rainbow was probably the goddess Iris.

"Nico, she's not-"

"I know." Nico raised his sword in front of him and advanced forward. "You go make sure we have an easy way out okay? I'll hold these guys off until Ame is done."

"Are-are you sure?"

Nico nodded.

"Alright…Alright! You can count on me!"

Victor leapt off across filing cabinets towards the doors, a determined look on his little face.

Nico watched him go, then turned his attention back to the door, squaring his shoulders and shifting his stance ever so slightly.

*I swear on my father Ame, not a single one is going to touch you.*

.:xXxXx:.

Annabeth kept her eyes closed, trying desperately to keep her breathing low. She wasn't totally sure what had happened, because one minute she had been fighting a bunch of surrealist statues, and then they suddenly stopped. All their heads(?) had turned down, as if the floor was suddenly very interesting and darted off.

She didn't know if they were coming back, so she had to keep herself hidden for now. And what was worse, she didn't know where anyone else was. She had met up with Clarisse a while back, but the older girl had split off to go find Grover, leaving Annabeth alone.

Swallowing nervously, Annabeth tried to ignore the sinking feeling in the put of her stomach. She felt like she was missing something really obvious.

*Percy…Are you alright?* she thought worriedly.

Not once however, did her thoughts stray to Nico.

.:xXxXx:.

The door smashed in only a moment after Nico's self-proclamation and he gritted his teeth. Standing there in the doorway was just about the entire museum teeth bared, hackles raised and eyes furious. They were really, really, REALLY not happy.

"Victor…" Nico called, never relaxing. "How're we doin' on an escape here….?"

"G-give me five…"

"Ame?"

He hoped, desperately that the young girl had heard him and in fact;

"Three minutes Nico. Hold them off for me for three minutes Nico…."

Nico grinned.

"Hey Victor, make that five minutes two wouldja?"

"Aye-aye!"

Nico grinned and lowered his stance into one of taunting aggression.

"Well? You gonna stand there, or come and get me?" he said snidely. "Cause y'know, it's always easier when you're just standing there."

The mannequin from earlier (the one in the red dress with the butcher's knife) howled in fury and ran at him.

"Yeah, didn't think so."

The sudden surge of confidence had been unprecedented and uncalled for, completely out of the blue. Nico had no idea why he suddenly felt like he could take on the world, but he wasn't too picky about why he felt like that. The point was that he was standing here now, with a huge amount of, technically, unkillable enemies coming straight at him.

And he wasn't scared at all.

.:xXxXx:.

Ame gritted her teeth in irritation. Iris's recording was getting increasingly irritating and she truly wished she could shut it off. Instead, she continued her chanting, muttering words so fast even she was having a hard time following it. She half realized that she was going between Greek, Latin, Japanese and Mandarin Chinese as she chanted.

Slowly, she watched as cracks formed in the glass, going deeper deeper deeper until…

"私は言った破る!"(2)

The glass shattered without further commandment, splintering into a thousand tiny pieces that fell around her knees.

*About damn time.*

Behind her, the sounds of metal on metal clashing was enough to break her eardrums. Nico was fending off the attacking art pieces like he was just batting at flies. His whole demeanor had changed from his usual reserved, caged self to a much more confident warrior. It was like he knew where his enemies would step next, knew their every move.

He was amazing.

*I'm lucky I have him watching my back…*

For someone who had had no real training but from ghosts, Nico was a fabulous fighter. His movements were languid and swift, body twisting exactly how it needed to at the given moment. No matter how many of the sculptures tried to get past him, Nico would just turn on his heel, brace himself and attack again.

Of course, you're probably thinking; Well Ame's facing the other way how the hell does she know what he looks like when he's fighting?

Well give me a break. She's trying to open a vault that the gods have sealed closed to keep some all epic artifact safe and one of their shields is a piece of glass. She has every right to stare at Nico's reflection while she's chanting. (Like you WOULDN'T.)

As soon as Ame was sure all the glass had broken, she reached forward and felt along the inner part of the safe. The rectangle had to be the box (or whatever the Hades it was) so she focus on that. Unfortunately, there wasn't even enough room for her to dig her fingernails into it. She just couldn't pull it out.

"くそ."(3) she hissed in her native tongue.

Looking behind her, Ame found that Nico was falling back slightly. There was only so long a human, even a half-blood, boy could hold back an army on his own.

*Think Ame. Think think THINK.* she growled.

Her fingers brushed something and her head snapped up. Running her finger along where she had touched before, she found it to be an almost nonexistent groove. With interest, she followed the path of the groove. When she had completely followed it in a circle, she grinned.

"Okay." she muttered. "Maybe the gods do have a bit of a kitsune complex."

She grabbed the leather cord around her neck and tugged out her pendant, the crescent moon winking in the light. Leaning forward, she pressed the pendant so it fit into the circular grooves on the front of the box.

"黒月."(4)

There was a soft click and she pulled back. As she watched, the rectangle popped out of the wall, then slowly extended outward. It was, indeed a box. A box only an inch or so deep and only four inches wide.

Inside, lay a plain leather case, the kind guns are usually kept in. There was a symbol on the front, faded by time, but Ame recognized it as an old symbol of the prophets.

"AME!"

Spinning, Ame ducked in time to avoid a flying statuette that shattered above her head.

"Three minutes are up Ame, we gotta GO!"

Ame didn't need telling twice.

Grabbing the leather case, she allowed Nico to snatch her hand, tugging her along behind him. She wasn't entirely sure where he was going until he zigzagged through some of the cabinets towards a suddenly open door. Victor was waving his arms and yelling "HURRY!" on the cabinet beside the door he had no doubt opened.

Nico dashed past and snatched their clay companion before bolting out the door. To Ame's surprise, the door slammed behind her as she exited, as if it KNEW she wanted it to.

*I guess some of the MoMA is still on our side…*

.:xXxXx:.

One minute, Grover had been cowering in fear from a large statue of Jesus with a TV for a head(5) and then Clarisse was there and now…Now they were outside, in front of the MoMA, staring up at it in confusion.

"….Weren't we just inside?"

"Yes goat-boy, I know we were." Clarisse snapped.

There was a loud yelp and Annabeth landed beside him on the ground.

"Annabeth!"

Both the satyr and the half-blood ducked to the new arrival's side.

"Are you alright?"

Annabeth groaned and rubbed her head.

"I'm fine…Ow, where's Percy?"

"Fish isn't here." Clarisse said, standing straight again. "And neither is ghost-boy or the kitsune chick."

"Ame."

"Whatever."

Annabeth looked up at the MoMA, staring at the second floor.

"You think they're okay…?" she mumbled.

"They better be." Clarisse growled. "Or this quest is over before it's even started."

.:xXxXx:.

"VICTOR!"

Victor turned in Nico's arm and grinned, waving at someone to his left.

"JACK!"

Both teens turned their heads to find the full cast of The Nightmare Before Christmas running towards them, a very exhausted looking Percy Jackson in their midst.

"Percy!" Nico called in a relieved voice.

"'Ey Nico! How ya doin'?"

He changed trajectory so he was running alongside his half-blood cousin.

"I see Tim Burton leant you a helping hand too then?"

Ame nodded with a smirk.

"I do hope to meet him personally one day. I'm a great fan of his works." she grinned. "Especially now."

Oogie Boogie cackled.

"We'll introduce ya'lls later! We gotta run now though!"

The teenagers and their statuette escorts ran down the hall, a majority of them (Nico and Percy included) whooping loudly as the stairs came into view.

"Down and out?" Percy called.

"Sounds good!" Jack called from beside Percy. "I suggest a diversion! Sally, Oogie, Witches, would you be so kind?"

Sally grinned and leaned over as she ran, kissing Jack Skellington's cheek.

"Of course sweetheart."

She skidded to a halt with the rest of the mentioned cast, spinning around to dart in the other direction. The witches flew above them in a line, dangling their capes down below them and making an oddly convincing shadow of a person.

Half of the art chasing them split off to follow their diversion, but no one stayed to watch. Ame and Percy were already halfway down the stairs, Nico bringing up the rear, making sure everyone was together, Victor still in his arms.

Ame reached the first floor first, dashing across the marbled tiles, case clenched in one hand.

"C'mon!" she screamed, and no one needed any other motivation.

As both friend and foe came barreling down the stairs after the three teens, the remainder of the Tim Burton exhibit seemed to materialize out of thin air. Sculptures and mannequins, even a few of his little wire creations, all jumped to attention, glaring at the attacking art. The Nightmare Before Christmas cast stopped beside their fellow creations, making a wall over the small path that their three companions had just darted through.

By this time, Nico and Percy had caught up to Ame, making a mad dash across the floor, glancing behind them every now and again. Nico was astonished to see just how well Tim Burton's automatons fought back their enemies. They truly were the work of one of Athena's favorite children.

Ame slammed into the glass doors first, throwing them open without much thought, Percy rushing past her, quickly followed by Nico before they were all out on the street again. They barely paid any attention to their fellows though, instead, turning to look back at the MoMA.

The glass doors weren't shutting.

"What's going on?" Ame muttered. "They should be shut!"

Nico looked down, and he met the clay eyes of Victor VanDort.

"Victor…"

The small figure smiled up at the son of Hades.

"Don't worry Nico." he said. "We'll be alright. Everyone will be back in their rightful places by morning."

Nico could feel himself tearing up, even though Victor was assuring him he'd be okay. He had grown attached to the little automation.

"I-I'll see you again won't I?" he mumbled.

Victor grinned.

"Course you will! Tim's going to come round when he's needed, then we'll be around and walking ALL the time!"

Nico smiled as the first tear rolled down his cheek.

"There, there Nico, dry your eyes." Victor consoled. "You really will see us again. And for what it's worth, I don't care who your father is. I think you're one of the bravest half-bloods I've ever met."

The half-blood boy laughed, raising his free hand to wipe his eyes. Leaning down, he let Victor step onto the ground, where he turned to face them all.

Ame hesitated, then knelt down beside Nico, reaching out her hand to Victor.

"Thank you, Victor. We couldn't have done it without you." she quirked an almost invisible smile. "You have my blessing."

Victor smiled, shaking her hand. "I am proud that I could assist in your quest."

He nodded once to Percy, before turning around and running back inside of the museum.

The doors slammed shut behind him.

.:xXxXx:.

Nico and Ame had both been silent the entire way back to the hotel, and they entered the large suite (courtesy of one Dionysus's influence, no matter how much he denied it) without so much as a word. Ame had disappeared into the bathroom to shower and Nico had made a point of checking his stygian steel sword for any chinks in the blade. It was an hour before anyone really said a word to one another at all.

Percy broke the silence, clearing his throat.

"Uh, so, you DID get the ledger, right?"

Nico jumped slightly, as if he had just been awoken, but quickly returned to his blade.

"Yes." he muttered. "We got it."

Ame pulled out the leather case, holding it up for them to see with one hand.

"Here it is." she muttered. "In all its gods be damned glory."

She glanced up at the ceiling and muttered something like;

"And for the record, I'm going to kill you Hermes."

"It's….sorta small…" Grover muttered.

Nico had swung himself around so he was sitting cross legged on the bed instead of on the edge.

"I agree." he said quietly. "If it's a ledger, shouldn't it be bigger?"

Ame half-smirked.

"Shall we find out?"

Ame dropped onto Percy's bed, and everyone gathered around her. Nico ended up sitting next to her on the edge of the bed, legs tucked under him so he was sitting on his knees. Clarisse was on the floor by her feet, Annabeth and Grover both sitting on the opposite bed, Percy on her other side.

The kitsune let the case rest on her lap, unclasping the locks. She glanced around once, before slowly lifting the lid. Nico and Percy's eyebrows both rose as the case was fully opened and Percy mumbled;

"What the Hades?" in a mystified voice.

"What?" Clarisse asked. "What is it?"

Ame reached in and seemed to pry something out. She slowly lifted it from behind the case, closing the lid as she did so until everyone could see what it was.

"….It's an iPhone." she murmured.

**A/N:**

OH MY GOD. EXCESSIVELY LONG CHAPTER IS EXCESSIVELY LONG. *dies*

*REVIVES*

1- I am the dark one  
The secret of which the gods do speak  
Allow me entrance to within  
So evil I may reap

2- Watashi wa itta yaburu- I said BREAK

3- Kuso-Shit in Japanese

4-Kurotsuki, Ame's last name, meaning Black Moon in Japanese.

5- My uncle, actually, created that as a final for his art course a year or two ago. It's not in the MoMA, but this is a play off of the fact that my grandfather's work is. His work is actually in the real print library. (Also, when Ame was talking about the forgotten artists, I had him in mind... (Louis Jimenez, look'im up.))

If ya got a problem with all the foreign languages, screw you. I intend on continuing with it like this. Personally, I think it makes it more entertaining. I plan on making Nico speak Italian in there somewhere. 3

I'm sorry for the wait, I've been on a mental vacation. School tests are coming up in less than a week and I am FREAKING out. (StudyStudyStudy!)

As of such, this will be going on another (this time announced) temporary hiatus. And for the record, because I felt thoroughly insulted when I was asked this;

NO. YOU CANNOT ADOPT MY STORY BITCH. I WANT IT ADOPTED, I WILL SAY SO. NOW FUCK OFF.

Thanks a million. NOW THEN. How was that fluff huh? Was it good? Didja like it? I made sure that there was plenty, on request!

Dedicated to my darling Opacho. You know who you are.


End file.
